VJ Edgecombe And Tyrese Maxey Shine During All-Star Weekend Activities
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Team USA Stars shoots against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Team USA Stripes during the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Despite not having their former MVP, Joel Embiid, at All-Star weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers were well represented during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend Festivities in Los Angeles.
Tyrese Maxey was the sole All-Star for the 76ers, making the game for the second-time in his career. However, this time around, Maxey earned enough votes to make him one of the five starters out of the Eastern Conference. On top of that, Maxey was also named one of the eight participants in the Three-Point Contest.
Joining Maxey in the city of Angeles, while not playing in the actual All-Star game, was 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe was invited to participate in the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge as a member of Team Vince, led by Vince Carter. Edgecombe became the 16th 76er to participate in the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge.
The weekend started on a good note for Edgecombe, as in the first game for Team Vince, he went off. Facing Team T-Mac, led by Tracy McGrady, Edgecombe dropped a game-high 17 points in the 41-36 win. Edgecombe shot 75% from three and from the field, drilling three triples and hitting six total shots. On top of being the leader in points for Team Vince, Edgecombe led the team in rebounds with five and added one assist.
In the championship game against Team Melo, led by Carmelo Anthony, Edgecombe once again led Team Vince in scoring with six points, and added two rebounds and one assist. It was a tight back-and-forth championship game, but with just seconds remaining, Edgecombe was fouled and knocked down two game-winning free throws to lead Team Vince to a 25-24 victory.
In total, Edgecombe scored 23 total points, recorded seven rebounds, and had two assists. Due to his outstanding two-game performances, Edgecombe was named the Rising Stars Challenge’s MVP.
It’s the first time that a 76er won the MVP since 2006, as Edgecombe joined Allen Iverson and Andre Iguodala as the third 76er to take home the honors. While it may not seem like much of an achievement, many Rising Stars Challenge MVPs have gone on to become All-Stars and All-NBA players. 19 of the 31 MVP winners have gone on to make at least one All-Star team.
After the Rising Stars Challenge came the NBA’s Saturday events, consisting of the Slam Dunk Contest, Shooting Stars Competition, and the Three-Point Contest. Maxey participated in the Three-Point Contest; however, he struggled to get going, scoring just 17 points in the first round, which put him in seventh place overall.
Closing out the weekend, Maxey was back in action as a member of Team Stars, one of the two American teams in the Round Robin games. In the opening game, Team Stars took on Team World, led by all the international All-Stars.
Maxey got the start, but the first-time starter struggled to find his footing in the opening matchup, scoring just four points, adding three rebounds, and two assists. The 76ers guard missed all three of his attempted three-pointers and finished with a team-worst -9 +/-.
However, Team Stars was able to pick up the overtime win behind 13 points from Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. In their second matchup, they took on the other American team, Team Stripes. Once again, Maxey struggled, scoring just two total points in the game as Team Stars were defeated 42-40, after San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron hit a game-winning three.
Team Stripes ended up winning the third game over Team World, setting up a rematch between the two American teams in the championship. Finally, after two down games, Maxey came alive in the championship, scoring not only the most points on the night for him, but leading Team Stars in scoring and steals.
Maxey picked up an early steal and bucket in the first minute of action, and after laying in a tough layup while guarded by Kevin Durant, Maxey picked off Durant’s inbound and knocked down a three to extend Team Stars’ lead.
Minutes later, Maxey added another bucket, and Team Stars rode their lead to a blowout 47-21 victory over Team Stripes. Maxey finished with nine points, two rebounds, one assists and three steals, while shooting 50% from the field. His poor first two games knocked him out of contention for MVP, as that went to Edwards, who scored 32 points in the three games combined.
While the championship was a blowout, all three of the Round Robin games came down to the final shot, and everyone seemed to be playing tough defense and actually trying to win, unlike previous All-Star games. Whether this format will continue next year is to be determined, but for a first-time try, the NBA may have a solid All-Star format once again.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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