The 19-year-old Bahamian boy became a god in one battle! Breaking James record in his first game!

In the opening game of the 2025 season, among the 25th rookie, Cooper Flagg should be the one that attracts the most attention.

But on the opening night, it was not Flagg who really ignited the audience, but VJ Edgecombe from the Bahamas island.

A young man who grew up in poverty and often had power outages at home did something that surpassed James in his NBA debut:

He scored 14 points in the first quarter of the first game as a rookie, setting a new record for scoring in the first quarter of a rookie's debut in history.

If you ask Edgecomb where he misses the most, his answer may not be the NBA arena, but the island called Bimini. In the eyes of tourists, this is a diving paradise, but in the eyes of Edgecombe, this is a place with no electricity, no entertainment, and only dreams.

My mother has to work odd jobs to support a large family. The family doesn’t even have money to pay the electricity bill, and often has to rely on a generator to live. Every time the power went out, it was so dark that you couldn't see your fingers. It was on that night that Edgecombe would hit the ball on the sand with his worn-out sneakers, capturing his future in one shot.

For people with this kind of background, they are destined to play with a fierce energy.

When Edgecomb was playing ball when he was a kid, he could already give kids who were two or three years older than him a headache. As his abilities gradually improved, he decided to go to the United States to challenge a higher level. At that time, he had not even flown on a plane, but he wanted to see the outside world.

After coming to the United States, Edgecombe first practiced at Victory International Academy for two years, and then went to Long Island Lutheran High School in New York. In the history of this famous basketball school, it has trained a lot of stars. No one knew Edgecombe when he first arrived, but by the time the season was over, the entire state was talking about the Bahamian genius.

In his senior season, he averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game, and led the team to win the state championship. In the eyes of scouts, he was a lunatic who could guard five positions by himself. Even the G League Ignite team at that time threw an olive branch at him, hoping that he would enter the professional arena early. Faced with the opportunity, Edgecombe rationally chose to refuse:

"I'm not ready to make that much money yet. I want to make myself irreplaceable first."

And soon, his words came true.

Edgecomb let the world know himself for the first time, not in the American NBA, but with the Bahamas national team.

In 2024, the Bahamas participated in the Olympic qualifying tournament and formed a very strong lineup. The team included NBA players such as Ayton, Hield, and Gordon. However, in the face of fierce competition, the 18-year-old high school student still managed to enter the main rotation.

In the final match against the Spanish men's basketball team, Edgecombe ended the game early due to too many fouls. The team ultimately lost and stopped at the gate of the Olympics. After the game, he lowered his head in the locker room, without tears or self-blame. He simply said:

"We are only one game away from the Olympics."

At that moment, everyone could see that he was not sad, but began to lose his fighting spirit.

Later, Edgecombe chose to join Baylor University. That year, his draft market skyrocketed. Some said he played like Wade, while others said he was more like a young version of Jaylen Brown. Only he responded with a smile:

"I want to play my own way."

Before the draft, many experts predicted that he would be a top-five pick. As a result, the 76ers took this talented young man with the third overall pick. In the opening game of the new season, Edgecombe appeared in a 76ers jersey. No one expected him to do much. After all, the team had Embiid and Maxi, and he was just a rookie.

What’s the result?

Edgecombe scored 14 points in the first quarter and scored 34 points and 7 rebounds in the game, standing before James' record in one fell swoop.

After the game, reporters asked him how he felt, and he just said lightly:

"Of course I am happy to be able to be named with James. But I hope to be like him and play for twenty years."

Of course, passion is passion, and reality is not that romantic.

As for Edgecombe, his three-point shooting rate in the summer league and preseason was quite ugly, and his luck control was also unstable. But instead of avoiding the problem, he took the initiative to seek advice from his big brother Eric Gordon. And it is this attitude of being willing to bow down and learn that is the true character of a star.

At present, McCain's recovery from injury is not ideal, and Edgecombe has a chance to take over. He does not need to become a star immediately, he just needs to win trust with defense and energy, which is what Philadelphia currently lacks most. Maxey and Embiid are the core of the offense, and Edgecombe is their best balance point.

He can make up defense, break through, and stand up to one-on-one defense. If he can practice three-pointers in the future, he will be the perfect offensive and defensive combo guard in the modern NBA.

Maybe he will be targeted, injured, and confused in the future, but as long as his eyes are firm and hot enough, these highlights will not be a flash in the pan.

The new season has just begun, and the story has just turned the page. What he has to do next is to prove himself.