VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick from the 2025 draft, is heading into just his second year with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he is already pushing the team’s biggest stars, even LeBron James, to get up to speed. After the first day of training camp, the young guard made it clear he is not afraid to speak up, even to a legend.
More Fun Than Pressure, Says The Youngster
The Sixers definitely pulled together a stacked roster this offseason. They landed Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Edgecombe, all in a serious championship chase for the upcoming season. With all that star power, you might think Edgecombe, who’s still just 21 years old and likely taking a backseat to those guys as Philly prioritizes winning over development, would feel the heat. But nope. Edgecombe is totally unbothered. He told reporters, “No, I’m myself. I’m myself. I told him, I was like, ‘Yo, Bron, we got to switch that. We got to do it.’ We hold each other accountable. We’re teammates now, man. It’s no pressure playing alongside him. It’s fun. If it’s anything, it’s more fun than pressure. Obviously, all the eyes are on us. So it’s more fun than I would say pressure.”
Taking Charge From Day One
It is wild to think about, but Edgecombe is absolutely taking it upon himself to get his new teammate, LeBron James, on the same page. Even though James is one of the smartest players to ever play, this is a brand new situation for him. Edgecombe recalled telling him, “I told him you got to switch. We forgot. We messed up a switch, but that’s what happens. Like I said, we’re getting to know each other. It’s a new system for him. Just everything’s on the fly right now, but overall, I’d say it was great.” This 21-year-old isn’t shying away from a unique spot, he’s embracing it. He wants to make a big impact with his voice, encouraging teammates and being vocal. He even explained, “If I have something to say, I don’t want it to be from a voice that’s not heard. I want to be vocal where it’s obviously like, OK, if I tell them to do something, they’ll be like, ‘OK.’ Ain’t like this is my first time saying something.” It is seriously impressive to see a player this early in his career using his voice like this for Philadelphia. Edgecombe wrapped it up by saying, “It’s important that I do that. It’s important that I voice myself. We’re all men, we’re all men, and we’re all going to listen to each other. We might not do what you want us to do exactly, but we’re all going to listen to each other. We’re going to hear each other out. It’s all a respect kind of thing.”
As the Sixers head into the upcoming season with championship aspirations, this kind of immediate leadership from a second-year player could be exactly what they need to build that crucial team chemistry.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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