‘Inside the NBA’: VJ Edgecombe’s home decor and why Tyrese Maxey thinks his dad is ‘going to like this kid’
Plus, why the rookie thinks the unbeaten Sixers can go all the way this year.
The 76ers are four games into their season and the vibes are high.
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey have formed a dominant duo in the backcourt and propelled the Sixers to an undefeated start. Maxey and Edgecombe brought that same energy to their Inside the NBA interview on Wednesday.
Edgecombe’s home decor
Edgecombe and Maxey both joined the show remotely, with Edgecombe joining from what looked like a very bare room and Maxey from a more furnished office. Charles Barkley was quick to take notice.
“You got paid, and you earned it,” Barkley joked. “Why don’t you buy the young guy some stuff to put on his damn walls? You got all these nice [expletive] paintings, he got just regular white walls. If you’re going to be a vet, lead by example. Buy that man something to put on the damn wall.”
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Considering Edgecombe said later in the interview that he mostly likes to chill in his apartment, someone needs to help him trick it out — although it sounds like he’ll have help.
“Number three pick!” Maxey said, holding up three fingers. “You see that Adidas on his chest? They’re going to make sure he’s all right, I’m telling you. Everything else, I got him though.”
The Sixers’ big belief
The Sixers’ hot start has everyone believing, but there might not be anyone with more faith in the squad than Edgecombe.
Currently, Joel Embiid is restricted to playing just 20 minutes per game as he recovers from his latest knee surgery. But the Sixers are already dreaming of what the offense could be like with him back full-time.
“[Embiid] is playing 20 minutes, he’s still having 25 point games,” Edgecombe said. “With big fella back there, I think we’re going to win the [championship], if you ask me. I don’t care what anyone else has to say though.”
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A shared competitive nature
NBA champion Kenny Smith said he pointed to Maxey when looking for a current comparison for Edgecombe.
Maxey said that he’s already seen similarities in their mentalities in the early part of the season.
“Our competitive nature,” Maxey said. “That’s what I realized about VJ from Day One. The very first time I saw him, I told everybody, the entire team, I’ll be at the gym at 6 a.m., anyone who wants smoke, play [one-on-one], after we work out, show up. VJ and Trendon Watford were the only two players there.
“That’s when I knew. He’s pushing me, trying to go at me in [one-on-one], that’s when I knew. I went home and told my dad, ‘You’re going to like this kid. He’s got a different mentality about him. He likes to have fun, he likes to work.’”