76ers VJ Edgecombe breaks records held by LeBron James and Allen Iverson in stunning NBA debut against Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe is off to a historic start NBA He set his career record on Wednesday by breaking the 22-year-old record held by LeBron James. Edgecomb, the No. 3 overall player out of Baylor, scored 14 points in the first quarter against the Boston Celtics to surpass the NBA record previously set by James in 2003.

In James’s NBA debut against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 12 points in the first quarter. Edgecombe had 14 points by knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:14 left in the quarter to make history.

Edgecombe, when he scored his 31st and 32nd points with a bucket at the 5:37 mark of the fourth quarter, also broke the 76ers franchise record for most points scored in his NBA debut. This record was previously held by Allen Iverson, who scored 30 goals in his first game in 1996.

The NBA record for the most points scored in an NBA debut is 43 by Wilt Chamberlain in 1959.

Edgecombe started on opening night next to Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt. Philadelphia rolled out a lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominic Barlow and Joel Embiid.

Edgecombe, a blue-chip recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle, saw his draft stock skyrocket during his first and only season at Baylor under Scott Drew. Edgecombe established himself as one of the most athletic players at the collegiate level and continued to improve throughout the season. The 76ers passed on Ace Bailey — who was later selected two times by the Utah Jazz — and instead drafted Edgecombe with the third pick.