Philadelphia 76ers NBA Draft Media Availability | VJ Edgecombe | 06.25.25

Philadelphia 76ers NBA Draft Media Availability | VJ Edgecombe | 06.25.25

yes from Bib Bahamas now you going to Philly talk about be what you feeling right now
uh I I don’t got no words it’s it’s it’s surreal um like I say I I work hard um and uh everything is paying off but you know the work don’t stop um now I’m definitely looking forward to going to Philly meeting the team getting ready for summer league training camp all that so I’m focused on playing now
second row on the right vj it was mentioned briefly after you were drafted but Philadelphia and their fans a lot has been said about them what would it mean to you to win there specifically
it would mean a lot i mean it’s been a minute since they won um so you know just going there and and being that being that piece that it’s going to help them get over the hump would would mean a lot to me would mean a lot to the fans um the owners all that so you know I’m excited to go out there see what we can do
first row on the left Mark
uh Mark Spears ESPN what does this say about the state of Bahamian basketball right now and what message do you have that aspiring kid back home who’s now you’re the role model to getting there
it’s crazy to think I’m a I’m a kid’s role model man but um it it shows that basketball in the Bahamas is growing and it’s growing at a pretty rapid pace um and you know I’m excited to see who’s next super excited to see who’s next man and and I’m help them as much as I can um inspire i’m trying my best to continue inspiring the um the ones that come after me
first here in the middle Keith Pompei with the Philly Inquir just I haven’t been around you a lot but I could tell that there’s a lot of emotion with you can you just tell us what you’re going through and what does this all mean to you
yeah um no it’s emotions flying i mean like um I know I mean I came from came from a small island it’s only seven miles long so everybody know everybody is just literally a small island small island it’s like a little rock so I mean just to make it out of there man it means the world it means the world to me and I know it means the world to my island and definitely the country to Bahamas so yeah
blaster all the way to the right
vj Roger Ruben from News Day uh yesterday you were talking a little bit about like when you came to New York the chance to play against uh upper echelon players in high school and that you learned some of the toughness can you sort of describe what the toughness is that you are now going to be able to employ at the highest level
man like you said it’s the highest level of basketball so on every every night you’re going to see something different um and I got to be mentally prepared for that um knowing that it’s it’s grown men playing for their lives playing they got family to feed so you know I I got to go in there and just be ready to play on any given night
all the way in the back of the stand
there was talk of other players going third had you talked to the Sixers did they let you know that they were going to pick you third did you know you were going there
nah no I had no clue what was going on um I was like I’m just living in the moment um until until they told me that I’m going there when I was at the table like like 15 seconds before they draft me um I mean before the commissioner called my name so um like I said they ain’t telling me nothing um it was it was still up in the air about what was going on so yeah
first row in the middle
sure bj Lloyd Carroll Queens Chronicle i figure the Bohemian sports community is a small one have you crossed paths with Jazz Chisum of the Yankees i’m curious no that’s actually him and John Quill are two people I haven’t met yet um I’ve met everyone else besides those so second row here on the left
right addition lot of sports talk uh you talked about when you were growing up there were times where your house or where you’re staying at was powered by generators
um at those moments when you were younger and had those moments like who were you thinking about or were you thinking about uh the future what might lie in store for you or just take me through those moments when uh they in the Caribbean in the Bahamas when they were really tough
man um what was going through my head is that how how are we going to get electricity to stay on without it turning off in the middle of the night when we’re sleeping um just trying to man it was just it was just tough times um but like I say I mean my mom my mom my grandma you know they they work hard every day um to make sure that we slept good at night um make sure everything was well so you know it’s just credit to them
first drive on the right
hey VJ so early today posted that that video from Mexico for Buddy’s camp now you’re going to the team but he also played for us talk to me about that connection from that first camp with Buddy to now him being a mentor brother to now you guys are no pairs
yeah um Buddy’s my dog um he here right now actually uh he came to the draft he pulled up um just to show love um you know it means a lot and that goes a long way um you know he shows that he he actually he actually care about me um care about my future care about me as a person man um and like you said this is old team but Buddy Buddy have nothing but good things to say um you know he’s a he’s a great person um great energy great personality man so yeah
third round with the left
vj just talk about we know you had your NIL with the scholarships at Gateway just talk about what you’re going to be able to do off the off the court now that you’re in the NBA
man I don’t know yet but definitely you know definitely interact with the fans of Philly um it’s my new home um so just get to know people out there um interact with the fans give back um as much as I can um just to you know grow the love um in Philly and I mean that’s that’s my next focus right now when it comes to that that that space so yeah last question last row on the right v VJ you said that like the the call was a little bit surprising to you that it happened right at the last minute before you heard your name um were you given any kind of an idea about like personnel and where you fit i know that they have two young guards in Maxi and McCain do have they given you any sort of an inclination about what it might be like for you there
no um I mean it’s the NBA and they ain’t going to promise you nothing either it’s the NBA it ain’t going to promise you nothing you got like I said you got grown men fighting for their jobs um and I’m going just go in there whatever coach needs me to do I’m going to go do that’s that’s it whatever coach needs me to do I’m going to go do um that requires me coming off the bench requires me starting playing alongside both Maxi and McCain playing with one of them at the same time i mean it don’t matter um I’m just going there to play um whatever like I said whatever coach Nurse need me to do I’m going to go do it
thank you VJ it’s only 100 miles from one hey
have a great night
you too congratulations [Music]

VJ Edgecombe speaks to the media after being selected third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.