Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Sixers WireSat, February 14, 2026 at 4:30 AM UTC·2 min readPhiladelphia 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe has made his name known as one of the best rookies in the 2025 NBA Draft class after what he has done so far this season. With Friday's Rising Stars event on the horizon, Philadelphia was pulling for Edgecombe to have the same kind of impact against some of his peers and he showed off his game on a big stage.
Edgecombe, who won MVP for the Rising Stars event, led Team Vince (Vince Carter) to the championship after leading the way to victories over Team T-Mac and Team Melo. In Team Vince's 41-36 win over Team T-Mac in the semi-finals, Edgecombe was by far the best player on the floor as he finished the contest with 17 points and five rebounds, including the game-winner.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the 25-24 win over Team Melo in the championship game, Edgecombe and Team Vince had to find a way to make it to the target score of 25 points against San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper and company. While it looked like Team Melo was going to win the title after amassing a 24-23 lead, Edgecombe drove to the rim and managed to draw a foul from Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan to get two free-throws.
While this game ultimately amounts to an exhibition for NBA fans, Edgecombe still had pressure to sink those two free-throws or Team Melo would have a chance to win it at the end. Instead, Edgecombe sank both free-throws to give Team Vince the win in the championship game while also earning himself the MVP after the way he played in both games.
Edgecombe brought his usual amount of activity and athleticism to the floor in both games and those intangibles played key factors in him having the kind of impact he did throughout the event. Edgecombe can enjoy the rest of All-Star weekend knowing that he led the way for his team to win a championship, something he is hoping to do for the 76ers at the end of this NBA season as well.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 76ers' VJ Edgecombe, Team Vince win Rising Stars title over Team Melo
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