17 years ago, a skinny 20-year-old Stephen Curry walked into the NBA. His pre-draft profile read: “He’s not a natural point guard that an NBA team can rely on to run a team”. Everything about that lanky kid with glass ankles had a question mark. But to say, “the rest is history” would be an understatement. The always-underrated Curry transformed the game like no one before him. And for ages, everyone will remember him as the greatest shooter of all time. Now, here’s the thing: Draymond Green sees something equally promising in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ rookie, VJ Edgecombe.

The 20-year-old Baylor graduate from Bimini, The Bahamas, is writing his story at free will. Forget Cooper Flagg, this 3rd pick has turned all eyes towards him. However, before his debut, his college basketball coach, Scott Drew, regretted not utilizing his offensive talent. Meanwhile, the Warriors’ assistant coach, Chris DiMarco, who coached the Bahamian team, feared VJ’s shooting efficiency.

But the rookie has put all doubts on the shelf. “You talk about young stardom, like a young fella coming into stardom. You want to grow the game in the Bahamas; you want to move yourself into stardom faster; you want to grow your fan base faster,” Draymond Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “When we talk about the things that you need to do, the things that some guys have stopped doing, and you see their fan base start to grow, and then that shit wanes. The things that guys stop doing, they stop participating in All-Star Weekend. Steph Curry getting in that three-point contest all those years added to the legacy and the legend of Steph Curry.”

Currently, VJ Edgecombe has a shooting percentage of 50% from the field and 40% from three. Thus, Draymond added, “I hope to see V.J. Edgecombe with that vertical in the dunk contest come All-Star Weekend. Add to your legend, young fella. Show the world who you are. Add to your trophy case. How about taking the dunk contest trophy back to the kids in the Bahamas? How about that? So I think this kid is special.”

V.J. Edgecombe has already carved his name into NBA history with a debut that shook TD Garden on Oct. 22, 2025. The 20-year-old Bahamian phenom started his first game for the 76ers and lit up the Celtics for 34 points in 42 minutes, leading a 117-116 win alongside Tyrese Maxey. Thus, Philadelphia found its next spark, and the league felt the tremor immediately.

Edgecombe’s 34-point eruption became the most ever by a 76ers rookie in his first game. The 2024 Allen Iverson National High School Player of the Year even topped Iverson’s 30-point opener from 1996. His scoring also ranked third all-time among NBA rookies in their debut, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 in 1959 and Frank Selvy’s 35 in 1954.

To be fair, the Sixers’ rising star has taken all the spotlight from Cooper Flagg, who is off to an underwhelming start to his NBA career. He was seemingly the favorite name for the Rookie of the Year award. But lo and behold! VJ isn’t walking anymore; he’s catching up.

Is VJ Edgecombe going to be this season’s ROTY?

Through five games, Cooper Flagg has posted 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 41% from the floor and 26.7% from beyond the arc. The numbers show promise, yet the hype runs louder than the stats. Though oddsmakers still crown him the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year favorite, Draymond Green sees the story ending differently.

“Young fella VJ Edgecombe is playing like the rookie of the year. He’s not only playing like a rookie of the year, though. He’s playing like a seasoned vet, like an All-Star. And if he continues to play this way, it’s going to be interesting to see if he can get the All-Star nod in his rookie year,” Green said. “Yeah, he was the number four pick, but I don’t think anybody had on their bingo card like, ‘Yo, V.J. Edgecombe could possibly be an All-Star this year’. I don’t think anybody had that on their bingo cards… I definitely think he’s going to be the rookie of the year, as I’ve said. But I think he is absolutely special.”

The No. 3 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft has burst onto the scene in Philly, averaging 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. His rhythm feels electric, yet Draymond Green believes Cooper Flagg’s downfall may stem from Dallas’ confusion about his role. According to him, the Mavericks’ uncertainty could silence Flagg’s Rookie of the Year dreams.

The league thought it had seen it all, but V.J. Edgecombe walked in and rewrote the script with a grin. The kid from Bimini turned whispers into roars and turned promise into proof. While others chase predictions, he’s already building a legacy. The Rookie of the Year race feels alive again, electric and unpredictable. And somewhere, Draymond’s words echo, because the prophecy suddenly feels real.