February 13, 2026
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
With Tyrese Maxey seated in the front row, VJ Edgecombe put on a show against fellow Rising Stars on Friday night.
After a Sixers game earlier this season, rookie VJ Edgecombe and two of his teammates stood at their lockers and discussed possible contenders to play in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Challenge. They traded names of rookies and sophomores that have impressed them in the league, sorting them between American- and foreign-born players.
The pool for this year's event had not yet been selected, and rosters for the revamped four-team tournament had not yet been drafted. But it was already clear that Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was going to be spending this weekend in Los Angeles.
Edgecombe and his teammates discussed what the rosters might look like in a USA vs. World format (the league has ditched that format in favor of the four-team draft). Then, I chimed in. I told Edgecombe that his job, during a weekend that has become known for lackadaisical basketball, was to ensure that all of the Rising Stars played hard.
Instead of saying something to me, Edgecombe just shot me a look. It spoke volumes on its own. The expression on Edgecombe's face made it clear: he was going to bring all of the intensity he had. It was up to his fellow Rising Stars to match that energy.
Edgecombe followed through in every way, completely obliterating the competition in the first game with skill, putting his team over the top in the ensuing championship game with hustle plays, and capping off both of those contests with the winning shots. He did it all with Tyrese Maxey, his backcourt mate set to compete in the NBA 3-Point Contest on Saturday and All-Star Game on Sunday, seated in the front row:
.@TyreseMaxey cheering on his rook! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zwIMlky7I5
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 14, 2026
Team Vince first took on Team T-Mac in the semifinal, with Carter's cousin Tracy McGrady coaching Edgecombe's opposition. While Edgecombe and New Orleans Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen were the clear headliners of their team, Team T-Mac's roster was loaded. Edgecombe handled the defensive featured Rookie of the Year contender Kon Knueppel from the Charlotte Hornets, but was also going up against Miami Heat sophomore big Kel'El Ware, former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and Cleveland Cavaliers breakout wing Jaylon Tyson, among others.
Edgecombe scored his first points with a mid-range jumper coming off a screen out of a timeout, then exploded through a pair of defenders to draw a foul at the rim and knock down a pair of free throws. Edgecombe forced McGrady to call a timeout when he swished a corner three a minute or two later:
3J from the corner! 👌 pic.twitter.com/awl1wZyD0R
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 14, 2026
That was only the start for Edgecombe, who completely took over the game. He was the only player to stay on the court for all 12 minutes and 42 seconds of Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac, and he earned it by dominating down the stretch.
Edgecombe finished the game on a personal 10-2 run, knocking down back-to-back triples before going to work inside the arc, finishing an acrobatic layup to bring his team within a point of victory before putting the game away with a nasty step-back mid-range jumper:
10 straight points... plus the game-winning shot!
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2026
VJ Edgecombe was CLUTCH for Team Vince 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QxshhKl1go
Edgecombe led his team with 17 points (6-for-8 from the field) and five rebounds. It set up a matchup against Team Melo for all the marbles, where Edgecombe led his team against a group headlined by San Antonio Spurs guards Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, Houston Rockets sharpshooter Reed Sheppard and Harper's former Rutgers teammate Ace Bailey, now the rookie wing of the Utah Jazz.
Team Melo, of course, refers to Carmelo Anthony, who has a close relationship with Edgecombe because his son, Kiyan, was Edgecombe's teammate in high school. And with the illustrious Rising Stars title on the line, Edgecombe once again went the distance for his team. He notched an early breakaway dunk, then fell into a mini-slump.
But, in typical Edgecombe fashion, the 20-year-old pulled down a few critical contested defensive rebounds late in the game to help Team Vince get in front. And just as he promised, he outworked the competition, beating three players to an offensive rebounding for a critical basket:
with the put-back! 😤 pic.twitter.com/mZy2NkUzZO
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 14, 2026
With his team trailing 24-23 and the target score being 25, Carter called for an Edgecombe drive. He drew a foul, and nonchalantly buried two free throws to once again call game:
ANOTHER GAME WINNER! (free throw edition) pic.twitter.com/KzflHgJMvD
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 14, 2026
If "Vintage Edgecombe" is even a thing yet, this was it: clutch baskets and more intensity than the rest of the players on the floor. It was equal parts enjoyable and hilarious – and the inevitable payoff of the reassuring glance he gave me a while back.
