The historic debut of Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe on par with Wilt Chamberlain

VJ Edgecombe couldn't believe it. With wide eyes and leaning against his locker, the Philadelphia 76ers rookie was grasping the magnitude of his debut: he had scored more points than any other player in their first NBA game since Wilt Chamberlain.

"I worked my whole life for this. This is my dream," Edgecombe declared after tallying 34 points in the 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. "I always prayed to make it to the NBA... and also to stay in it. It was crazy, it exceeded my expectations."

Born in the Bahamas and named Big 12 Rookie of the Year in his only season with Baylor, Edgecombe set the third-highest scoring mark in a debut in league history. Only Frank Selvy (35 points in 1954) and Chamberlain (43 in 1959) achieved more. Furthermore, he broke the Sixers' debut record, held by Allen Iverson since 1996 with 30 points.

"It was an incredible performance for his first game," said coach Nick Nurse after the showdown against the Celtics. "Being on that list is something special."

Edgecombe also made history by scoring 14 points in the first quarter, the highest figure for a rookie in their opening twelve minutes in the NBA, surpassing the 12 that LeBron James achieved in 2003. "It's an honor for my name to be mentioned alongside LeBron's," the young player stated. "But what I really want is to have a career as long as his. That is what matters the most: longevity."

His performance was complete: 13 of 26 from the field, 5 of 13 from beyond the arc, in addition to 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. He scored 10 consecutive points in the first quarter and another nine in the final quarter, leading Philadelphia's comeback from being 13 points down.

Dominick Barlow, his fellow Sixers teammate, humorously recalled his own debut—two points in a 43-point loss—to highlight the rookie's composure. "He was so calm, so composed... It's not something you see often. It was special to see how he handled himself," he commented.

Maxey's Outstanding Performance

Edgecombe shone even alongside Tyrese Maxey, who scored 40 points. Together, they recorded 74 points, the second-best combined effort by a duo in a season debut in NBA history, only behind the 75 points by James Harden and Christian Wood with Houston in 2020.

"He played wonderfully," said Maxey. "He looked comfortable and very confident." However, he didn't miss the chance to joke with the rookie about his two missed free throws in the final seconds of the game: "Hey, 77! You showed a bit of nerves at the line."

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