Philly 76 ers protect VJ Edgecombe takes light for Bahamas basketball– Andscape

NBA guard Good friend Hield was originally hesitant before generating when amongst his relied on partners recommended including a 13 -year-old to his preliminary Elite 24 children’ basketball camp showcasing one of the most efficient Bahamian children in 2019 Currently 6 years in the future, that very same kid has really expanded to end up being Philly 76 ers novice guard VJ Edgecombe.

“He was like 13 years old, and the campers were [mostly] 16 – and 17 -year-olds,” Hield informed Andscape. “I resembled, ‘I do not desire any type of kind of children.’ A man called John March resembled, ‘This youngster from Bimini, he resembles 13 years old however he is genuinely excellent. Deal him an opportunity.’ After I stated I really did not desire youngsters I returned and stated, ‘You recognize what, bring him.’ That young person was constantly me. At 13, I regularly planned to accentuate and never ever before desired to play little.

“We were going nuts. Yet we brought him and he was remarkably one of the much better kids in the camp. It’s crazy. He was the light of the camp. He was young, however everyone saw the flashes. … He was betting the elite high school children in The Bahamas and was holding his own. And afterwards he just removed.”

The 76 ers made up Edgecombe with the 3rd complete choice in the 2025 NBA draft. The previous Baylor celeb balanced 15 factors, 5 6 rebounds, 3 2 help and 2 1 takes per computer game as a fresher last period.

Philly exposed that Edgecombe has really been spotted with a left thumb strain and is out for tonight’s NBA Summertime Organization computer game in Las Las vega. He is joining on-court exercises throughout his absence and will certainly be reassessed on Saturday.

In his launching at the Salt Lake City Summer Season Company on July 5, Edgecombe had 28 aspects, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in a 93 – 89 loss to the Utah Jazz. He has really missed out on the previous 2 video games with the thumb injury.

In Edgecombe, The Bahamas included one of the most as much as day gifted basketball gamer to the Caribbean island’s NBA history. Bahamian Mychal Thompson was made up No. 1 normally by the Rose city Course Blazers in 1978 and is the daddy of Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson. Three-time NBA champ Rick Fox is from The Bahamas. Numerous various other impressive Bahamians presently in the NBA include Hield (currently with the Golden State Warriors), Philly 76 ers guard Eric Gordon (whose mommy is Bahamian), Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton and free-agent center Kai Jones.

“It’s crazy to assume I’m a child’s good example, male. But it shows that basketball in The Bahamas is growing,” Edgecombe stated. “It’s expanding at a rather quick speed. I’m excited to see that’s following.”

Claimed Hield: “You have your starting papas like Mychal Thompson, Rick Fox, and afterwards you have the men like Klay, who is Bahamian with his father. You have Eric Gordon and you had [former G League center] Magnum Rolle. After that you had me, Deandre, Kai, VJ. Most of us have been offered the same type of possibility. It matters not, abundant or bad, black or white. If you put your mind to it, someone’s going to see you and you have an opportunity to obtain a shot at it.”

Hield is an eight-year NBA expert that wound up being the second-fastest gamer to reach 1, 500 occupation three-pointers. The 2020 NBA 3 -factor competitors champ furthermore holds franchise organization files for many three-pointers made (1, 248 for the Sacramento Kings. Yet prior to his NBA success, the Freeport, Bahamas indigenous left from home as a student in high school to participate in a prep establishment in Wichita, Kansas, to seek his basketball desires.

Hield starred at Oklahoma before being picked sixth basic in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. Ayton, Jones and Edgecombe likewise complied with in Hield’s impacts by leaving The Bahamas to play college basketball in the United States before turning up to the NBA. Hield understood that a much-taller Edgecombe had a possibility to be unique prior to he probably to the United States in 2022 to play high school basketball.

“I saw [Edgecombe] the next summer after my camp,” Hield asserted. “Among the people that routed my camp was like, ‘Yo, this is VJ, the young youngster from the camp.’ He emerged. He was like 6 – 3 He was dunking every little thing and was on top of everybody. I resembled, ‘Yeah, he has an opportunity without a doubt.'”

The Bahamas have exclusive basketball camps led by Hield and recognized trainer Jeff Rodgers. Hield, however, specified there is a great deal of basketball capacity in The Bahamas that goes undetected without “the proper guidance” called for from their member of the family and in basketball.

“I had the correct guidance. There are a great deal of VJs in The Bahamas, however they simply don’t have the ideal guidance and the appropriate ability growth,” Hield asserted. “And VJ was simply among those people that recognizes the why, the it and what it takes. Which’s why a great deal of males do deficient to high considerable [Division I basketball] or play abroad or go a lot more. They do not have the public advice or head area. And VJ looks like a prime testimony that if everybody follow the standards, everybody can have made it.

“However you understand exactly how it is. There’s a great deal of fanatics (athletic skills) like VJ in The Bahamas. I’m enjoying one today. He’s like 15, raw, leaping out the fitness center. There are a great deal of them in The Bahamas. They just don’t have the correct support. And when I say ‘guidance,’ it resembles the mommy advice, the papa support. A great deal of these men don’t have their papa. You reached be strong. You reached have that ‘it’ [factor] while you’re doing it. And several of them just obtain shed in the sauce.”

Hield and Edgecombe were colleagues with the Bahamian Man’s National Basketball team in 2024 in hopes of making the Paris Olympics. Ayton, Jones and Gordon were similarly on the group striving to make its very first Olympic proposal in people’s basketball. One win much from certifying, nonetheless, The Bahamas lost 86 – 78 to Spain in the 2024 FIBA Qualifying Finals in Valencia, Spain.

While Hield is still injured by that loss, he had a great deal of fulfillment sharing the backcourt with Edgecombe.

“He was elite and special,” Hield stated of Edgecombe. “We were a pair plays far from making the Olympics. He is so electrical. He is so smooth. When you placed him in choice and rolls, he simply gets worse. His launch is elite. He enjoys with a burst, pop, happiness and style. He enjoys with all the intangibles. He dips into both ends. He makes shots when you call for a huge shot. He just has that ‘it’ facet when you call his number.

“He is not one of those individuals thinking, ‘I’m mosting likely to come by and take control of for everybody.’ He simply locates his method and he’s one of those guys where we need to allow VJ take over since he resembles that. He is not above himself. He treats everybody the same. He walks with a swagger that everybody suches as.”

The 2025 NBA draft was an impressive night for Edgecombe with his family member and close ones by his side in the Green Location. A day formerly, Edgecombe explained that he was likewise delighted worrying Hield making the journey to Brooklyn, New York City City, to maintain him. Right after Edgecombe’s name was called, Hield jumped on the draft flooring to praise and hug his “little brother” from The Bahamas.

“That’s little brother. I’m just being a supportive, big bro for him,” Hield specified. “I simply wished to show just how much I valued him. I saw him broaden from when he was little. I would definitely never ever state I made him since I truly did not make him. Yet I simply watched him stem from my camp and he was calling me and connected to me whenever he called for tips. I seem like I was constantly large sibling to him. He can chat with me on a various level. …

“It’s one of those bargains where if you really enjoy a kid, you truly value him and you like his story, you wish to be there for him. And I felt my assistance was needed there. I didn’t have to be there, however I existed since that’s my little brother.”

Claimed Edgecombe: “He’s my dog. Pal came to the draft. He pulled up simply to show love. It suggests a great deal which goes a long method. He shows that he in fact respects me, appreciates my future, appreciates me as an individual.”

So, just how outstanding can Edgecombe be? Hield assumes Edgecombe has NBA star feasible and advises him of Warriors colleague Jimmy Butler.

“I enjoy his charm. He enjoys to work, to play basketball,” Hield specified. “He likes protection. When you hear him chat, he is just loaded with satisfaction. He is among those individuals that has that special capacity. He can be an actually special ability in this organization and can go a lot. He advises me a lot of Jimmy Butler because of the manner in which he lugs himself and regularly joking around laughing.

“When it pertains to the video game, he is extremely serious. … He doesn’t pull back from no competition. You can see it in his first [summer league] video game, too. He wants the sphere in his hands and he’s mosting likely to deliver.”

Hield has an image that he truly treasures of a 13 -year-old Edgecombe considering him at the latter’s basketball camp. Hield is still holding his basketball camp in The Bahamas, yet the 32 -year-old hopes that in the coming years Edgecombe can take the lantern from him as the helping light for Bahamian basketball ability.

Edgecombe shows up delighted to take that barrier.

“I’m mosting likely to have an additional camp this summer and VJ is mosting likely to come,” Hield specified. “It’s a true testimony to everyone on just how I started off, then Deandre, then Kai, and then VJ. I always inform VJ, ‘There is just so long I can be doing these camps. You’re going to have to take the lantern. This is your show.’ When the organization states they are done with me, you’re going to need to take over as one of the guys that are the example.”

Claimed Edgecombe: “I’m going to assist them as long as I can, motivate them, attempt my best to motivate the ones that follow me.”