PHILADELPHIA (USA) - V.J. Edgecombe Jr., a player for the Philadelphia 76ers, has expressed his deep desire to represent the Bahamas in international basketball tournaments, placing this aspiration above winning an NBA championship. During a Twitch stream with teammate Jaylen Brown on Friday, he shared his sentiments, stating, "I'm going to be honest, that's more important. This might sound crazy, but I would rather do that than winning the championship in the NBA."
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Edgecombe’s journey toward Olympic participation begins with the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar. This summer, he competed in three World Cup Americas Qualifiers, contributing significantly to the Bahamas' victories over Panama and Jamaica. He scored 25 points against Panama, 19 points in a match against Puerto Rico, and 26 points in the win against Jamaica.
Currently, the Bahamas holds a 4-4 record in Group F of the Second Round of the Qualifiers, placing them fourth and two games behind second-place Uruguay and third-place Argentina. To qualify for the World Cup, they must secure a top-three finish in their group or be the best fourth-placed team.
Upcoming matches include games against Argentina and Panama next month, followed by matches with Uruguay and Argentina early next year. Edgecombe leads the team in scoring with an average of 23.3 points per game and is also the player with the highest efficiency rating in the qualifiers at 26.3. Additionally, he tops the team with an average of 3.0 steals per game.
His talent was previously showcased at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Valencia, Spain, where the Bahamas reached the Final but lost to Spain. For the Bahamas to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, they need to perform well at the World Cup, aiming to be one of the top two teams from the Americas, aside from host nation USA.