Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe broke records held by LeBron James and Allen Iverson in his debut vs. the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at TD Garden. Pretty good company for the 20-year-old.
Edgecombe’s 14 points in the first quarter broke James’ record for most points scored in the first quarter of an NBA debut. James made his debut on Oct. 29, 2003, vs. the Sacramento Kings and scored 12 points in the first quarter. About 22 years later, that record now belongs to Edgecombe — and that’s not all.
Edgecombe’s 34 points are the most in a Sixers rookie debut, surpassing Iverson’s record of 30 points in 1996 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Edgecombe played a pivotal role in helping the team secure a 117-116 win over the Celtics in the season opener, despite missing two free throws in the final seconds. Along with his 34 points, Edgecombe had seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and hit five 3-pointers.
VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball over Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter of a game at TD Garden.
Adam Glanzman / Getty Images
Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick out of Baylor University, did it all for the Sixers in the first quarter as he surpassed James’ record. Along with his 14 points, Edgecombe had two assists and drained three 3-pointers. At one point in the first quarter, Edgecombe scored 10 straight points for Philadelphia.
Two of Edgecombe’s 14 points in the quarter came on a dunk midway through the quarter. With Xavier Tillman guarding him, Edgecombe realized he had a mismatch and blew by the Celtics forward for a dunk where Boston forward Jaylen Brown made a business decision on the play.
When the Sixers picked Edgecombe, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said they viewed him as a player with All-Star potential. So far, he’s looking the part.
After Philadelphia’s season opener vs. the Celtics, fans will get a chance to see Edgecombe play in the team’s home opener against the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.