VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey have formed quite a backcourt duo this season for the Philadelphia 76ers, and their chemistry appears to extend beyond the court based on recent comments by the two at NBA All-Star Weekend.
Edgecombe was among the 10 rookies who suited up in the Rising Stars Game on Friday, earning MVP honors after leading Team Vince to the championship in Inglewood, California. He totaled 23 points in two games, including 17 in their first matchup.
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The third overall pick helped set the tone for the three-game tournament as they eyed the title for their Hall of Fame coach. Edgecombe also wanted to put on a show for his All-Star teammate, who was courtside to watch the festivities at the Intuit Dome.
“Tyrese is my dog, man,” Edgecombe said after the game. “He was like, he ain’t coming to watch it if I ain’t going to play hard. I was like, man, I’m going to play hard, so that’s not a waste of his time. I didn’t want to waste his time. I know he has a whole lot of stuff he could probably be doing right now, especially being an All-Star. Tyrese is my dog. I love him.”
Edgecome and Maxey, who are combining to average 43.8 points per game, have helped lead the Sixers to a 30-24 record, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. Edgecombe is third among all rookies in scoring, while Maxey ranks sixth in the league.
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With the arrival of Edgecombe, along with the contributions of Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes, among others, the Sixers have already surpassed their win total (24) from a season ago after battling injuries all year long.
Maxey, in hindsight, recognized that, as tough as last season was, he likely needed to experience it as part of his overall development in the league. However, as bad as it was, it enabled the organization to draft Edgecombe, which should pay off in the long run.
“The outcome was VJ Edgecombe, who is like a little brother to me now, you know what I mean?” Maxey said on Saturday. “He is great, man. Not just basketball-wise, but for our team personality-wise and culture-wise for our organization, and things that we’re trying to turn around. I feel like this year we’ve done a really good job of turning things around.”
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Sixers news: Tyrese Maxey views VJ Edgecombe ‘like a little brother’