Welcome to V.J. Maxx: 76ers’ V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey make league and franchise history on Opening Night

Photo Credit: 76ers

For the Philadelphia 76ers, much of the national attention has been on the health of star center Joel Embiid, veteran forward Paul George, and second-year sensation Jared McCain. After last night, the attention switched to the youthful and dynamic backcourt of guards V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey, and rightfully so.

With George and McCain sidelined and Embiid on a minutes restriction, the onus was on the 24-year-old, Maxey, to lead the Sixers into their opening night contest at TD Garden with the Boston Celtics. Maxey, who is now in his sixth NBA season, is viewed as a veteran on the roster and especially in the backcourt, with Edgecombe, 20, and McCain, 21.

Early on, it was clear that Edgecombe would take some of the pressure off Maxey’s shoulders. The rookie had 14 points after the first quarter, looking more like an established scorer and less like someone playing in his first NBA regular-season contest. Both guards would make clutch buckets and free throws late in the fourth quarter to lead the Sixers to a 117-116 comeback victory in Boston.

Maxey would lead all scorers with 40 points, with Edgecombe right behind him with 34. The latter played 42 minutes, the most by any player on Wednesday night, with Maxey playing 41, the second most.

“From the team standpoint, we got the win, which mattered the most,” said Edgecombe after the game. “All the points, like I said, it’s gonna come, it’s basketball at the end of the day, like I’ve been saying, it’s just basketball, trying not to overthink it. I’ve been putting in the reps, been putting in the work, my teammates have been trusting me; I trust my teammates. I was blessed to be in this position on a big stage in Boston and perform.”

For the rookie out of Baylor University and the six-year pro out of the University of Kentucky, it would be a historic night.

Edgecombe’s 34 points were the most by a rookie in his NBA debut this century. The 20-year-old had the most points by a rookie in a regular-season debut since Basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain on October 24, 1958, for the Philadelphia Warriors. Chamberlain tops the list of highest rookie scorers on debut with 43 points. Edgecombe sits third on that list, one point behind Frank Selvy, who scored 35 points on November 30, 1954.

“He has a good motor,” said Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. “He played a ton of minutes, that helps. We certainly needed the offense, and he certainly just looked pretty comfortable out there. That’s one thing I’ve noticed the most about him: he seems to really know what’s going on out there for a young player. You don’t see him making silly mistakes or many mistakes. He’s just playing the right way; He’s got a very good feel for the game. That’s a neat list to get on.”

He also set the franchise record for most points by a rookie on his debut, passing the legendary Allen Iverson, who scored 30 points on his Sixers debut against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996. Edgecombe also set a new record for most points scored in the first quarter of an NBA debut. His 14 points were enough to pass Lebron James’ record of 12 set in the first quarter of his NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.

Born in the Bahamas, Edgecombe was selected third overall by the Sixers in the 2025 NBA Draft. The guard averaged 15 points in his lone college basketball season for Baylor. He was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman teams in 2024-25. Edgecombe was 13-for-26 from the field and 5-for-13 from beyond the arc in his debut. He collected seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 40-plus minutes on the court.

Edgecombe’s backcourt partner, Maxey, was just as impressive.

The 24-year-old was 13-for-24 from the field and 7-for-9 from three-point range. Maxey added six assists, two steals, and a block, and perfectly navigated the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth personal foul early in the final frame.

With his 40 points, Maxey tied Hal Greer for the most in a season opener in franchise history. He became the third guard in Sixers history to record double-digit 40-point games in his career, just two behind Greer (12), with Iverson, ironically, having 76 40-point games, by far the most in franchise history.

Edgecombe and Maxey combined to score 74 of their team’s 117 points in the thrilling opening-night win.

“77 was good tonight,” said Tyrese Maxey. “I was just happy he was comfortable. He looked very comfortable. He shot open threes. I think he got up 13 threes. That’s phenomenal. That means he shot the open ones. They tried to close out to him a couple of times and he shot it. We know what he does when he gets downhill and what he does on defense, but that’s what I’m most proud of him [for]. He shot those threes and he shot them with confidence and he made them, too.”

“And one on one for Tyrese, it’s night and day for whoever’s guarding him,” Edgecombe said.