BOSTON, MA — In a season-opening thriller against their bitter rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers not only secured a crucial 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics but also witnessed one of the most remarkable NBA debuts in league history. Rookie guard **VJ Edgecombe** announced his arrival with a stunning **34-point performance**, a scoring feat no player has reached in their first professional game since the legendary **Wilt Chamberlain** in 1959.
Joining the Pantheon: Scoring Records Shattered
Edgecombe’s 34 points place him third on the all-time list for most points scored in an NBA debut, trailing only two names synonymous with basketball history:
- Wilt Chamberlain (43 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959)
- Frank Selvy (35 points for the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954)
- VJ Edgecombe (34 points for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025)
The young Bahamian, who was the Big 12 Rookie of the Year at Baylor, was visibly overwhelmed when told of the historic company he now keeps.
“I worked every day, and all my life, for moments like this. This is my dream,” Edgecombe said after the game. “That surpassed my expectation, to be honest. Man, yeah, that was crazy.”
Breaking Franchise and Quarter Records
Edgecombe didn’t just challenge decades-old league records; he rewrote recent franchise history. His 34 points surpass **Allen Iverson’s** record of 30 points, which stood as the most by a Sixer in a debut since 1996. Even more incredibly, Edgecombe set a new NBA record with **14 first-quarter points**—the most ever for a player’s first NBA quarter, topping the 12 points set by **LeBron James** in his 2003 debut.
The rookie acknowledged the significance of the achievement: “It feels good to have my name mentioned with LeBron. But hopefully [I’m] going to have a long career ahead of me. That’s what mattered most, man: longevity.”
The Rookie’s Composure in the Clutch
Edgecombe’s performance was defined not just by volume but by timely scoring and remarkable composure. He finished the night shooting an efficient 13-of-26 from the field, including 5-for-13 from beyond the arc, adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal.
His immediate impact was felt early, scoring 10 straight points for the Sixers in the first quarter, and he contributed nine crucial points in the fourth quarter as Philadelphia rallied from a 13-point deficit to secure the one-point victory.
Even Sixers coach **Nick Nurse** was effusive in his praise. “That’s an amazing first-game performance. It really is. That’s a neat list to get on,” he said.
Teammate Dominick Barlow, who witnessed the poise firsthand, noted, “He was just so composed and so calm. You don’t see it… That was special, to see how [Edgecombe] carries himself.”
Maxey-Edgecombe: A High-Scoring Duo
Edgecombe’s explosion came alongside an equally brilliant performance from All-Star guard **Tyrese Maxey**, who dropped a game-high 40 points. The combined 74 points by the duo is tied for the second-most by a pair of teammates in a season opener in NBA history, only slightly behind the 75 points scored by James Harden and Christian Wood in 2020.
Maxey, while praising the rookie’s confidence, couldn’t resist a playful jab at Edgecombe for missing two crucial free throws late in the game, a lighthearted moment that underscores the promising chemistry of the new backcourt pairing.
