Those are some hefty resum\u00e9s and pieces of hardware his fellow starters have hoisted.<\/p>\n
Other young NBA players in Edgecombe\u2019s Adidas sneakers might tend to suppress their voices, to defer in leadership to the more accomplished veterans. But those who have watched Edgecombe blossom since the start of his rookie year know he is hardly one to keep quiet. <\/p>\n
His infectious personality, engaging attitude \u2014 and his desire to be heard \u2014 are some of the qualities that endeared him to teammates old and new.<\/p>\n
Take Brown, who, after just a week of practicing with Edgecombe, said, \u201cI love VJ already. That\u2019s one of my favorite people in the world, and we just met.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00bb READ MORE: Sixers ticket prices were dirt cheap. LeBron James’ arrival has sent them soaring.<\/a><\/p>\n When James was deciding where he would play this season, he said he heard through the grapevine just how much Edgecombe was a leader on the team, already at such a young age.<\/p>\n After the 76ers<\/a> had their transformative offseason, one tangential question that came up was concern over Edgecombe\u2019s development<\/a>, that it might take a backseat to his more established teammates. As this Sixers team has practiced and played this preseason, that hardly seems like a worry. Edgecombe, and his voice, will be a big part in the Sixers\u2019 potential success.<\/p>\n \u201cI have men around me that\u2019s really respectful, and they hear me out so they don\u2019t just shut me down,\u201d Edgecombe said. \u201cIt\u2019s just important that I always make my voice heard because we live in a world where people try to lessen your voice and I\u2019m not going for that.\u201d<\/p>\n A voice that\u2019s heard<\/p>\n Shortly after the Sixers signed James<\/a>, Edgecombe had the idea to start a group chat with the projected starting five. There was one problem with his plan, though; he didn\u2019t have James\u2019 number. Even if he did, \u201cWhy would I randomly add LeBron to a group chat?\u201d he said at media day. <\/p>\n His solution? <\/p>\n \u201cI told Tyrese [Maxey] to do it,\u201d Edgecombe said. <\/p>\n About that group chat, he added: \u201cIt was my idea, so if any one of them tell you that it was their idea, they\u2019re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n The group chat may be a pretty basic idea, but it can show how Edgecombe\u2019s mind works when it comes to facilitating communication with his teammates. It\u2019s a subtle sign of the leadership Edgecombe showed in his first season with the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI always say that we got a eight-year vet right out of the blocks with his composure and his demeanor,\u201d coach Nick Nurse<\/a> said. <\/p>\n Using your voice to deliver blunt assessments and constructive criticism of your teammates at 21 in an NBA locker room is like walking a tightrope that is already frayed. The margin for error is hairlike. Say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and someone might throw your lack of experience in your face, or want to compare their paycheck to yours. That can be how it is navigating the politics of an NBA locker room early in a player\u2019s career. <\/p>\n Watch the first episode<\/p>\n After an exciting Sixers offseason highlighted by the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, join Inquirer beat writers Gina Mizell and Chris Hine for a preview of the season. Watch here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify<\/a> or Apple Podcasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all men, and we\u2019re all going to listen to each other,\u201d Edgecombe said. \u201cWe might not do what you want us to do exactly, but we\u2019re all going to listen to each other. We\u2019re going to hear each other out. It\u2019s all a respect kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n It says something about this Sixers\u2019 willingness to set egos aside that Edgecombe can have such a strong voice, and it says something about his future that he\u2019s not shying away from that opportunity. <\/p>\n Even at nearly half James\u2019 age, over a decade younger than Embiid and almost nine years younger than Brown, Edgecombe makes sure his teammates hear him, in a huddle, communicating on defense or in that group chat.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I have something to say, I don\u2019t want to be a voice that\u2019s not heard,\u201d Edgecombe said. \u201cI want to be vocal where it\u2019s like, \u2018OK, if I tell them to do something, they\u2019ll be like, OK.\u2019 Ain\u2019t like this is my first time saying something. And it\u2019s important that I do that. It\u2019s important that I voice myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Extremely important for us\u2019<\/p>\n At media day, Maxey conditioned his statement about what Edgecombe will mean to the team this upcoming season, but the point he made was still significant. <\/p>\n \u201cVJ is gonna be probably, if not our most important player, like he\u2019s gonna be extremely important for us,\u201d Maxey said. <\/p>\n Maxey said that because of who Edgecombe is off the court, but also because he knows Edgecombe can handle variations in his box score output on a nightly basis. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re gonna need his youth. We\u2019re gonna need the energy every single day,\u201d Maxey said. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna have to be the same person every single night, and some nights you\u2019re gonna have to be 10 [points], eight rebounds, four steals. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cSome nights we don\u2019t know what we\u2019re gonna need him to do. But he has to be that steady, that rock every single night, and I think he\u2019s up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSacrifice\u201d has been one of the buzzwords the Sixers have tossed around in training camp. As in, they know with such a talent-laden roster, there may be fluctuations in statistics like guys haven\u2019t experienced in their careers in a long time. James and Nurse have both said sacrifice doesn\u2019t have to be a negative word. <\/p>\n But it is a fact, when a team has as many high-usage players as the Sixers, that scoring and shots could depend on the night and the matchup. Some second-year players may not want to give up such statistics, since they haven\u2019t earned a big pay day like their more veteran peers. But nobody is worried Edgecombe is that kind of player. How does Maxey know that? He senses a bit of himself in Edgecombe. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re built kind of the same,\u201d Maxey said. \u201cHe\u2019s adaptable, and at the end of the day, VJ just wants to win. I kind of saw that last year. He\u2019s a winner, so he\u2019s gonna do whatever it takes to win. I\u2019m proud of him, extremely proud of him, because he\u2019s grown as a player over the summer. I\u2019ve watched him, and he\u2019s growing as a person, maturity-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s just not quiet\u2019<\/p>\n After reflecting on his first NBA season, Edgecombe realized something \u2014 he was worn out. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the NBA, you get really tired,\u201d Edgecombe said. \u201cSo when I was able to take some weeks off and reflect on the season, I was really tired. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n The proverbial rookie wall is a real thing, but in year two, Edgecombe said he is faster and in better shape, which is a good thing because of the responsibilities he wants to handle.<\/p>\n First, he wants to be a main point-of-attack defender and keep improving in that area. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trying to make sure I\u2019m in top-tier shape so I can do that,\u201d Edgecombe said. <\/p>\n Then on offense, the first bucket he scored in a preseason game against Brooklyn, the first time all the starters played together against another team, showed why he needs to be in that kind of shape.<\/p>\n After a Nets field goal, Edgecombe ran the floor and James found him with a long hit-ahead pass for a layup. The Sixers have four of the best transition scorers in the NBA in their lineup, and running is a strength of theirs, with Edgecombe having top-tier athletic ability. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s made a step forward,\u201d Nurse said. \u201cI think just in general, it just feels like he\u2019s better than he was a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/circle_outline_footer_light_theme.png\"\/)
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