INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Philadelphia 76ers rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe was named the Rising Stars MVP after leading a rookie-sophomore team led by honorary coach Vince Carter to two wins in the mini-tournament that kicked off All-Star Weekend.
Edgecombe drove late in the championship final and drew a foul on Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan to earn two free throws with Team Vince trailing Team Melo — led by honorary coach Carmelo Anthony — 24-23, with a target score of 25. Edgecombe calmly knocked down a free throw to tie, then a free throw to win, finishing with a team-high 6 points in the final game.
“To be honest, it wasn’t no pressure,” Edgecombe said of his game-winning free throws. “Free throws are precious. Obviously, tonight, we needed them to win the game. So I just focused: ‘Just make them. Make them both.’”
WHAT A MOMENT FOR VJ!
The 2026 @CastrolUSA Rising Star MVP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dS6vMlSeo9
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2026
Edgecombe’s team made it to the final by beating Team T-Mac, led by honorary coach Tracy McGrady, 41-36, with Edgecombe scoring a game-high 17 points. In that game, Edgecombe showed off his full ability to score: a catch-and-shoot 3 out of a timeout after an inbounds pass from Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Demin, then a catch-and-shoot 2-pointer in which Edgecombe’s foot was on the line, followed by a slashing drive past Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel.
When Edgecombe had a chance to win with the target score at 40, he went to a pull-up stepback midrange field goal in front of Memphis Grizzlies sophomore Cam Spencer to end the contest.
“My team was just swinging the rock,” Edgecombe said, after Team Vince completed the two games with 16 assists and only 3 turnovers. “My teammates were passing the ball, and I was open. I had some open shots; my teammates found me. I just made them. And then, coming off of pick-and-rolls or one-on-one, just try and get a bucket.”
The Rising Stars challenge also featured a G League team made up of seven players who have played in the G League this season. Honorary coach Austin Rivers led Team Austin, and despite 21 combined points from first-round rookie centers Yanic Konan Niederhäuser of the LA Clippers and Yang Hansen of the Portland Trail Blazers, Team Austin lost 40-34 to Team Melo. That game ended when San Antonio Spurs rookie point guard Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft out of Rutgers, beat his brother, Ron Harper Jr. of the Boston Celtics, for a game-winning midrange field goal.
The No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft, Dallas Mavericks small forward Cooper Flagg, was drafted by Team Melo. Flagg suffered a left mid-foot sprain this week and was unable to participate this weekend. Team Melo also had San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Stephon Castle, the MVP from last year’s Rising Stars game, which was played in San Francisco.
Edgecombe was the No. 3 pick of the 2025 draft out of Baylor and became an immediate starter next to 76ers All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey. This season, Edgecombe is averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 3s in 35.4 minutes per game for Philadelphia. The last two times a 76er won the MVP award from the rookie game were in 1997 (Allen Iverson) and 2006 (Andre Iguodala).
Unlike in Iverson’s and Iguodala’s rookie seasons, the 76ers are a winning team in Edgecombe’s rookie season, with a 30-24 record that is good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. That is something Edgecombe is looking forward to focusing on now that his first All-Star Weekend experience has concluded.
“It feels great, obviously, to win MVP of the Rising Stars,” Edgecombe said. “But my next focus is this push after the All-Star break. … We’re still in the hunt for that playoff spot. Obviously, we want to secure a playoff spot. And from there, we just gotta stay together, just keep moving, keep trusting each other. That’s it. I feel like we’re a dangerous team if we’re healthy. And I stand on that, so yeah.”