Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe scored 34 points in Wednesday night’s 117-116 season-opener road victory over the Boston Celtics – the most by a player in a debut since Wilt Chamberlain.
“I worked every day, and all my life, for moments like this. This is my dream,” Edgecombe said after his stunning first NBA game.
“I prayed for this. I always prayed to make it to the NBA and to stay in the NBA. Man, yeah, that was crazy. That surpassed my expectation, to be honest.”
The 20-year-old rookie’s performance was nothing short of historic.
Only two players in NBA history have scored more in their debut games.
Wilt Chamberlain dropped 43 points for the Philadelphia Warriors back in 1959 against the Knicks (along with 28 rebounds). Frank Selvy scored 35 for the Milwaukee Hawks against Boston in 1954.
Edgecombe just shattered Allen Iverson’s Sixers’ record of 30 points in a debut set in 1996.
“That’s an amazing first-game performance. It really is,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “That’s a neat list to get on.”
The rookie wasn’t just scoring empty points either. He shot an efficient 50% from the field (13-of-26) and hit five three-pointers.
He also added seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal while playing a marathon 42 minutes as a starter.
When the Sixers needed him most, Edgecombe delivered. He scored 10 straight points in the first quarter and nine crucial points in the fourth when Philadelphia erased a 13-point deficit to steal the win.
Breaking LeBron’s Record
As if outscoring almost every NBA debut wasn’t enough, Edgecombe also broke one of LeBron James’ rookie records.
His 14 first-quarter points were the most ever for a player in their first NBA quarter, surpassing the mark set by LeBron back in 2003.
“It feels good to have my name mentioned with LeBron,” Edgecombe said. “I must say, it’s amazing. But hopefully I’m going to have a long career ahead of me. That’s what mattered most, man: longevity. Knowing LeBron has been there for 20-plus years. So I’m hoping I can do that one day.”
Edgecombe wasn’t the only Sixer lighting up the scoreboard.
All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey poured in a game-high 40 points.
Together, they combined for 74 points – tied for the second-most by any duo in a season opener in NBA history. Only James Harden and Christian Wood’s 75 points for the Rockets in 2020 tops their performance.
“He played really well,” Maxey said about his new teammate. “He was really comfortable. He was really confident. Extremely confident.”
The Sixers grabbed Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft after his impressive college season at Baylor. There, he won Big 12 Rookie of the Year, averaging 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals in 33 games.
Can the rookie sensation keep it up? Fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The Sixers host the Charlotte Hornets next on Saturday.
