VJ Edgecombe might be just 19 years old, but having been selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the third overall draft pick has already changed his life. As Edgecombe put it, he was just a kid with a dream who wanted to make it to the NBA.
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Edgecombe will now fight for a place on the court and the opportunity to play with Paul George and Joel Embiid. The Sixers hope he can make an impact this season and come good on the All-Star predictions for his future.
As far as Edgecombe is concerned, however, these are still early days, and, while the pressure is there, none of it has sunken in just yet. While VJ claims to be taking it day by day and hopes to have grasped the reality of his situation by his first game, Paul George was happy to remind him it will be the biggest thing he’s ever been part of.
“Ain’t nothing but an extra 12-15,000 people at the games … 20,000 … the world watching,” he laughed.
When George asked him to elaborate a little on how the experience has been, VJ admitted that his humble background is probably why he’s still soaking it all in.
“It feels surreal, like I said, I came from … back home on Bahamas … I have always understood that my path was going to be different, so I was willing to accept whatever comes with it. But, man, I wasn’t expecting it to happen this quick. I am only 19,” he pointed out.
“I was thinking … probably when I am 23, 24, I would probably get a Summer League shot or something. But, man, it still feels surreal. Literally in this moment, I don’t know. I don’t even believe I am in the NBA right now,” Edgecombe noted.
George then advised him to stay in the moment as long as he possibly can. He explained that, as VJ’s career takes off, he is going to be part of certain meetings and brand deals, and he will feel exactly what he feels right now. How he got there is something George believes Edgecombe will continue to ask himself.
Understanding that VJ is the primary breadwinner in his family, George asked if or how their dynamic has changed. In response, VJ said, “No, it’s crazy because I remember asking my mom for money. Now … it’s just me giving it to her, you know?”
“Before the draft, I was on the phone with my cousin,” Edgecombe began, “and he’s like, ‘Bro, you have got to tell them how we used to live,’ because I promise I had no plans on even talking about it. I was like, ‘Man, that’s behind me. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.’”
Edgecombe didn’t really want to talk about his personal life, but upon further insistence from his cousin, he decided to tell his story because he figured he’d have to do it eventually anyway.
This is the biggest platform VJ’s ever been on, and, as his professional career embarks, he is just happy that he can now get his little siblings anything they want, even though, he joked, they abuse that a bit too much.
Edgecombe also mentioned that his mother ran track when she was younger and wanted to qualify for the Olympics. She put those dreams aside after becoming pregnant. VJ is elated to be able to give something back to her.
