Q. Talk about what you're feeling right now.
VJ EDGECOMBE: I don't have no words. It's just surreal. I work hard, and everything is paying off. But the work don't stop. I'm definitely looking forward to going to Philly, meeting the team, getting ready for Summer League, training camp, all that. I'm focused on playing now.
Q. It was mentioned briefly after you were drafted, but Philadelphia and their fans, a lot has been said about them. What would it mean to you to win there specifically?
VJ EDGECOMBE: That would mean a lot. It's been a minute since they won, so just going there and being that piece that's going to help them get over the hump would mean a lot to me, would mean a lot to the fans, the owners, all that.
I'm excited to go out there and see what we can do.
Q. What does this say about the state of Bahamian basketball right now, and what message do you have to that aspiring kid back home, who now you're their role model to getting there?
VJ EDGECOMBE: It's crazy to think I'm a kid's role model, man. But it shows that basketball in the Bahamas is growing. It's growing at a pretty rapid pace. I'm excited to see who's next. Super excited to see who's next. I'm going to help them as much as I can, inspire them, try my best to inspire the ones that come after me.
Q. Can you just tell us what you're going through and what does this all mean to you?
VJ EDGECOMBE: Yeah, the emotions is flying. I came from a small island that's only seven miles long. Everybody knows everybody. Just a small island. It's like a little rock. Just to make it out of there, it means the world. It means the world to me, and I know it means the world to my island.
Q. Yesterday you were talking a little bit about when you came to New York, the chance to play against upper-echelon players in high school and that you learned some of the toughness. Can you describe what the toughness is that you are now going to be able to employ at the highest level?
VJ EDGECOMBE: Man, like you said, it's the highest level of basketball, so every night you're going to see something different. I've got to be mentally prepared for that, knowing that it's grown men playing for their lives. They've got families to feed. I've got to go in there and just be ready to play on any given night.
Q. There was talk of other players going third. Had you talked to the Sixers? Did they let you know they were going to pick you third? Did you know you were going there?
VJ EDGECOMBE: No, I had no clue what was going on. I was like, I'm just living in the moment until they tell me that I'm going there when I was at the table. Like 15 seconds before they drafted me, before the commissioner called my name.
They didn't tell me nothing. It was still up in the air about what was going on.
Q. I figure the Bahamian sports community is a small one. Have you crossed paths with Jazz Chisholm of the Yankees?
VJ EDGECOMBE: No, actually him and Jonquel (Jones) are two people I haven't met yet. I've met everyone besides those.
Q. You talked about when you were growing up there were times where your house or where you're staying at was powered by generators. At those moments when you were younger and had those moments, who were you thinking about or were you thinking about the future and what might lie in store for you? Take me through those moments in the Caribbean, in the Bahamas when they were really tough.
VJ EDGECOMBE: Man, what was going through my head is how are we going to get electricity to stay on without it turning off in the middle of the night when we were sleeping. It was just tough times.
But like I say, my mom, my grandma, they work hard every day to make sure that we slept good at night, make sure everything was well. It was just credit to them.
Q. You talked about Buddy Hield being a mentor brother to you guys. Now you guys are players.
VJ EDGECOMBE: Yeah, he's my dog. Buddy came to the draft. He pulled up just to show love. It means a lot and that goes a long way. He shows that he actually cares about me, cares about my future, cares about me as a person.
It's his old team, but Buddy had nothing but good things to say. He's a great person, great energy, great personality.
Q. We know you had your NIL with the scholarships at Gateway. Just talk about what you're going to be able to do off the court now that you're in the NBA?
VJ EDGECOMBE: I don't know yet, but definitely interact with the fans of Philly. It's my new home, so just get to know people out there, interact with the fans, give back as much as I can, just to grow the love in Philly. That's my next focus right now when it comes to that space.
Q. You said that the call was a little bit surprising to you that it happened to you right at the last minute before you heard your name. Were you given any kind of an idea about personnel and where you fit? I know that they have two young guards in Maxey and McCain. Have they given you any sort of an inclination about what it might be like for you there?
VJ EDGECOMBE: No, I mean, it's the NBA and they ain't going to promise you nothing either. It's the NBA; they ain't going to promise you nothing. You've got grown men fighting for their jobs. I'm just going in there, whatever Coach needs me to do, I'm going to go do. That's it. Whatever Coach needs me to do, I'm going to go do. If that requires me coming off the bench, if that requires me starting, playing alongside both Maxey and McCain, playing with one of them at the same time, it don't matter. I'm just going there to play. Like I said, whatever Coach Nurse needs me to do, I'm going to go do it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports