Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe are still taking in the experience of sharing a Philadelphia 76ers locker room with LeBron James, describing the opportunity to play alongside one of basketball’s greatest players as an honor.
“The 12-year-old in me is like over the moon, you know? Like, no glaze, but you’re playing with one of the greatest,” Brown said in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
“Yeah… the greatest. We both grew up watching, so that’s an honor and a privilege in itself,” Brown said. “You got one of the greatest players in the world that ever played this game in the locker room every day, on the bus, in the film room. I think that’s pretty cool.”
Edgecombe agreed with Brown’s assessment, emphasizing the value of having James around the team every day. The 20-year-old rookie also admitted he never expected to become James’ teammate, given how long the four-time NBA champion has been in the league.
“Nah, because I ain’t gonna lie, I thought he was about to retire like a few years ago. So I’m like, man, I’d never catch LeBron James in the NBA,” Edgecombe said.
The age difference made the experience even more striking for Edgecombe. James, 41, is old enough to be his father, and his son, Bronny James, is older than the Philadelphia guard.
“He’s exactly old enough to be my dad, which is crazy. I ain’t gonna lie. His son is older than me which is crazy,” the sophomore added.
James joined the 76ers in July on a two-year, $8 million contract after considering retirement and several other potential destinations. His arrival followed Philadelphia’s blockbuster trade for Brown, who came over from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George and draft compensation.
The moves give Philadelphia a star-studded core featuring James, Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, with Edgecombe entering his second NBA season as an important young piece.
Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 75 games during his rookie campaign in 2025-26. He started every appearance and shot 43.8% from the field, earning third place in the Rookie of the Year voting.
