Philadelphia 76ers star V.J. Edgecombe could not hide his excitement when talking about LeBron James.
Appearing on Chiney Today with Chiney Ogwumike, the former No. 3Â overall pick said he is looking forward to learning from the four-time NBA champion and believes the experience will help accelerate his maturity and development.
“I don’t know LeBron. Like, I love LeBron, don’t get me wrong. I just never… like, I met him. Obviously, we played against each other. Obviously, that’s who I looked up to when it comes to basketball and stuff like that. That’s one of the reasons why I started playing ball, when he was in Miami. But I ain’t know him.”
“But I kept calling Tyrese, and I was like, ‘Are we getting Bron? Are we getting Bron?’ And Tyrese is like, ‘Bro, I don’t know. I don’t think so.’ But he knew the whole time. But he ain’t want to tell me. That’s what I feel. I might be wrong.”
Edgecombe then revealed the unforgettable moment he found out the deal had actually happened.
“I was on the court in the middle of a workout. So I’m literally working out. Coach’s Apple Watch kept going off and off and off. He’s like, ‘Damn, what’s happening?’ And then, yeah. He’s like, ‘Yeah, we just got Bron.’ I’m like, ‘You’re lying.’ The equipment guys came up. The medical guy came up. ‘We just got Bron.’ So I stopped working out, went to my phone. I saw Shams’ tweet. We got Bron. I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.’ So I finished my workout, and then I went back to it.”
The rookie also reminded fans that LeBron wasn’t the only superstar Philadelphia added this summer.
“I mean, obviously, we got Bron, we also got Jaylen Brown that people are forgetting now. You know, that we got, even though we got Bron, it’s like, you also got the MVP candidate also. Obviously, the look of our team is different now. We got four All-Stars, hopefully five one day, you know. And all of us being on the floor at the same time, it’s going to be great. It’s going to be great.”
“But for me, I’m just willing… I’m just happy to learn. I’m gonna ask Bron so many questions, ask JB so many questions. I already ask Joel and Maxey so many questions… I’m just happy to go learn. To me, the greatest player of all time, I’m playing alongside him. I’m just trying to see anything I can learn, get any bits and pieces.”
Some former NBA players have suggested that LeBron James’ arrival could actually slow V.J. Edgecombe’s development. Kwame Brown recently claimed that LeBron’s presence could turn the Sixers into a circus and suggested that V.J. Edgecombe’s development could be stunted by LeBron.
Draymond Green also suggested that Edgecombe would be the biggest loser following LeBron and Jaylen Brown’s arrival, simply because he would no longer have the same opportunity to dominate the ball as he did previously.
But for Edgecombe, the opportunity to share the floor with LeBron is about much more than basketball. He believes the chance to learn from one of the greatest players in NBA history, both on and off the court, will be invaluable.
That mindset makes sense considering the rookie season Edgecombe is coming off. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.8% from the field and 25.4% from three-point range.
With LeBron, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey sharing the floor, Edgecombe appears focused more on long-term development than immediate individual success.
