VJ Edgecombe admitted he initially thought the news about LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers was too unbelievable to be true, but the guard quickly shifted his focus to the opportunity to learn from one of the NBA’s most accomplished players.
Speaking about his reaction to the blockbuster signing, Edgecombe recalled how he first heard the news while in the middle of a workout.
“My reaction? I was working out, so I was on the court. One of the coaches had, like, an Apple Watch on, and his Apple Watch just kept going off and off. So he stopped and looked at it. He was like, ‘Yo, we just got drafted.’ And I’m like, ‘Hold on.’ I stopped mid-workout. I had to go check my phone to see if it was real. And then I went and finished my workout, and then I posted that picture.”
Edgecombe said the biggest benefit of James’ arrival extends beyond adding another superstar to Philadelphia’s roster. For the former No. 4 overall pick, the chance to study James’ approach to the game is just as valuable.
“Just to learn, man. To me, he’s the greatest of all time.”
The 21-year-old continued by expressing excitement about what the revamped roster could accomplish together.
“So now we’ve got him, JB, Joel, Rese, it’s a squad. I’m just excited to learn and what we can do on the court.”
James announced on July 24 that he would sign a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia after spending eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The agreement includes a player option for the second year and immediately transformed expectations for a franchise that finished 45-37 last season before being swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Philadelphia had already reshaped its roster earlier in the offseason by acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round selections. Brown is coming off a career-best 28.7-point season and joins a core featuring James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe.
Edgecombe enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign in 2025-26, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists across 75 starts. He also shot 43.8% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range while finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Maxey led Philadelphia in scoring last season with 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game, while Embiid averaged 26.9 points in 38 appearances despite injuries limiting his availability. The Sixers upset Boston in the first round of the playoffs before their postseason ended against New York.
