As if there ever was a doubt, Bahamian Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe proved that he is one of the top young players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) over the weekend.
The 20-year-old Bahamian star came away with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award from the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Challenge, which tipped off the NBA All-Star Weekend, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Friday.
Edgecombe was sensational, pretty much like he has been all season.
In their first game of the four-team tournament, Edgecombe struck for a game-high 17 points, including the final 10 points for his team and the game-winner, while adding five rebounds and an assist. He led Team Vince over Team T-Mac, 41-36, in the semifinals. In the championship game, Edgecombe hit the game-winning free shots, leading Team Vince over Team Melo, 25-24.
In the semifinals, the winner was the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. In the championship, the target score was 25 points. Edgecombe led his team with six points in the championship game, including the game-winning free shots.
“I just wanted to go out there, compete and put on a show,” said Edgecombe afterwards. “We wanted to make it fun and competitive and I’m glad that we were able to do that.”
In the semifinals, Edgecombe shot 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range. He was also 2-for-2 from the free throw line and played 13 minutes.
In the championship, Edgecombe was 2-for-5 from the field and missed all three of his three-point shots in just under nine minutes of play. As mentioned, he hit the game-winning free shots.
“Free throws, man, I just try to be dialed in, try to be focused at the line,” Edgecombe said. “Free throws are precious. Obviously tonight, we needed them to win the game. I just focused and made them.”
Edgecombe joined Allen Iverson and Andre Iguodala as the only Sixers players to win MVP of the NBA Rising Stars Game.
This year, each of the four teams was coached by former NBA players. Hall of Famers Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony were three of the four head coaches. Austin Rivers, son of NBA coaching legend Glenn ‘Doc’ Rivers, was the other head coach for the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Challenge.
As the name implies, Edgecombe and Team Vince were coached by Vince Carter.
“I got to learn from them (Carter, McGrady and Anthony) — they’re OGs, they’re Hall of Famers, they paved the way for us, so I just wanted to honor them by playing hard,” said Edgecombe.
Edgecombe has appeared in 50 games for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, starting all 50.
The number three overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft is third among all rookies in scoring (14.9 points per game), eighth in rebounding (5.4 rebounds per game), tied for second in assists (4.1 assists per game) and first in steals (1.5 steals per game). He is shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range.
The NBA Rising Stars Challenge yearly showcases the league’s top rookies, sophomores, and some G-League talent during all-star weekend. Edgecombe is the 22nd player in Sixers franchise history to be selected to play in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and now just the third to win the coveted MVP award.
“What did I prove to myself? I don’t think I proved anything to myself. I just wanted to go out there and show everyone that I can hoop. Regardless of stage, I just want to go out there and play basketball. I enjoy it. I enjoy playing basketball. I hope I showcased that tonight,” said Edgecombe.
The Sixers entered the all-star break with a 30-24 win/loss record, sixth in the Eastern Conference of the NBA.