VJ Edgecombe experienced hardship throughout his childhood on Bimini, a tiny island in the Bahamas hardly known for developing NBA talent. Only 19, it wasn't much more than a decade ago when Edgecombe knew that his basketball talent — developed on the “hard sand” of his native land — could be a way to provide so much more for his family.

The Sixers have made their pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, selecting 19-year-old VJ Edgecombe, a freshman guard out of Baylor University. The 6-foot-5 Edgecombe played 33 games last season, averaging 15 points,