Feb. 15, 2026, 1:38 p.m. ET

After unanimously winning MVP of the NBA Rising Stars Game, Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe relished the opportunity to play for Hall of Famer Vince Carter.

Edgecombe totaled 23 points across their two games en route to the championship on Friday at the Intuit Dome. He finished with 17 points in the first game alone, including the last 10 to clinch their place in the final against Team Melo.

The 20-year-old was selected first by Carter in the Rising Stars Game draft on Jan. 27, and the second overall behind Cooper Flagg, who was sidelined with a foot injury. Edgecombe wanted to prove Carter right as his top pick for the game.

“He told us, why not just play hard?” Edgecombe said of Carter. “After practice, we all decided, man, we’re just going to go in there and compete. Vince, he just wanted me to be aggressive the whole time. I just tried to show him why he picked me as his first pick, which is a blessing. I just wanted to go out there and go hoop, just play basketball.”

Edgecombe was one of 10 rookies named to the showcase, averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 35.2% from 3-point range. He is third in rookie scoring and one of six first-year players to score at least 30 points in a game this season.

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The third overall pick is affecting games at a high level, leading the league in loose-balls recovered (60) and ranking 10th among rookies in contested shots (210). He is also one of three rookies to score at least 20 points in four straight games this season.

Edgecombe is grateful for his early success and looks forward to taking a few days off to reset ahead of the Sixers’ final 28 games. The group is sixth in the Eastern Conference (30-24) and will aim to solidify its place in the playoff run, beginning on Thursday.

“My next focus is this push after the All-Star break,” Edgecombe said. “After the break, we’ve just got to make a push. We’re still in the hunt for that playoff spot. Obviously, we want to secure a playoff spot. From there, we’ve just got to stay together, just keep hooping, just keep trusting each other. I feel like we’re a dangerous team if we’re healthy. I stand on that.”