Wednesday evening, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the third pick in the NBA Draft. For the
Edgecombe grew up in Bimini, a chain of islands in the westernmost portion of the Bahamas. For Edgecombe and his family, life after the NBA Draft is expected to be a bit different. In his immediate post-draft availability, Edgecombe revealed that he lived off a generator for seven years. In the coming days, he will sign a contract worth over $50 million over four years.
For Edgecombe, the news that he had been selected by Philadelphia was truly dreamlike.
“It’s a surreal moment being drafted by Philly. It’s a surreal moment. Man, I was lost for words for like, the first 20 minutes, 30 minutes. So I just can’t believe it’s true.”
Edgecombe not only begins the next stage of his basketball journey, accomplishing what many only dream of, being drafted in the NBA, but he joins a hopeful contender in the Eastern Conference that is looking to rebound after an injury-plagued season.
Shortly after describing his initial thoughts as a Sixer, Edgecombe was asked about his early impression of how he would be able to complement the Sixers’ stars on the court.
“I feel like I’ll play well off of them,” Edgecombe said. “I’ve been playing off the ball, so I don’t need the ball to be impactful. So like I said, knowing the type of player they are, I feel like I’ll be able to fit right in, just play off of them, learn from them.”
After the initial excitement has calmed down, two things are clear, VJ Edgecombe is happy to be in Philadelphia, and he’s confident he can contribute immediately for the Sixers.
