VJ Edgecombe Didn’t Debut — He Detonated

Look, I don’t want to overreact, but what I witnessed from Sixers No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe Wednesday night was nothing short of fantastic.

This kid played like a MAN POSSESSED.

Edgecombe cooked the Boston Celtics in his debut — like hibachi levels of cooking.

The rookie went off for 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting and 5-for-13 from deep in Philly’s 117–116 win.

It was the most points in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain dropped 43 in 1959 and the third-most ever by a rookie in their debut.

He also broke the Sixers’ franchise record for most points in a debut, a record once held by Allen Iverson.

Yeah. That Allen Iverson.

And here’s the wild part: the rookie managed to stand out on a night when Tyrese Maxey dropped a 40-piece wing dinner with fries and ranch on the side.

The two combined for 74 points, tying for the second-most ever by a duo in a season opener in NBA history, trailing only James Harden and Christian Wood’s 75 for Houston back in 2020.

But let’s be honest: we already know what Maxey can do.

Wednesday night was all about Edgecombe. He came out like a man who’d been waiting his whole life for that moment.

He dropped 14 in the first quarter, the most ever by a rookie in their NBA debut — even more than LeBron James’ 12 in 2003.

He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t timid. He wasn’t shook. He was out there more confident than a Detroit barber with a fresh fade lineup.

This wasn’t a “get your feet wet” type of night. This was “turn the faucet on full blast and flood the block.”

And that’s what you want to see from your No. 3 overall pick — swag, poise, and that quiet “I belong here” energy.

Everybody’s been talking about Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey, and they should; those dudes are nice.

But VJ Edgecombe? He looks like he doesn’t care about any of that hype. He’s focused, fearless, and from the looks of it, ready to carve out his own name fast.

The Sixers needed this. They needed a spark. They needed a young dude with juice who could come in and instantly shift the energy.

If this game was any sign, Philly might have found their next star, not in the shadows of Embiid or Maxey, but right next to them.

So yeah, I might be overreacting a little… But if this is what the kid’s capable of on night one? Then the league better start paying attention because VJ Edgecombe didn’t just show up.

He kicked the door in and started rearranging furniture.