VJ Edgecombe Wins MVP, Leads Team Vince to Win in 2026 Jordan Rising Stars

VJ Edgecombe was named Rising Stars MVP after leading Team Vince to Rising Stars Championship victory.

Team Vince emerged on top of the mini tournament — defeating Team Austin, Team T-Mac and Team Melo — and capped the run with a 25-24 victory over Team Melo in the title game.

Edgecombe closed out both contests and combined for 23 points, guiding Team Vince to the championship in the Philadelphia 76ers rookie's first All-Star Weekend appearance.

Both semifinal games were played to 40 points, while the championship was played to 25.

Rising Stars Semifinal: Game 1

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Team Melo def. Team Austin, 40-34

Team Melo and Team Austin opened the evening with an energetic matchup, as Melo guided his squad to the win.

Portland's Donovan Clingan and Houston's Reed Sheppard each scored nine points to pace Team Melo in the victory.

On his home floor, Los Angeles Clippers forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser led Team Austin with 11 points and two rebounds, while Portland's Yang Hansen added 10 points off the bench.

The win sent Team Melo to the Rising Stars championship game, where it awaited the winner of Team Vince and Team T-Mac.

Rising Stars Semifinal: Game 2

Team Vince def. Team T-Mac, 41-36

Team Vince rallied past Team T-Mac to advance to the championship game against Team Melo.

Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe led the charge with 17 points and five rebounds, scoring his team's final 10 straight points to carry them to the win.

Cleveland's Jaylon Tyson paced Team T-Mac with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Charlotte sharpshooter Kon Knueppel was held scoreless from beyond the arc, going 0-of-2 in the loss.

Rising Stars Championship

Team Vince def. Team Melo, 25-24

Team Vince and Team Melo traded blows throughout the championship game, with neither side backing down.

Trailing 21-20, Stephon Castle converted a tough spin move to briefly give Team Melo the lead. Edgecombe responded for Team Vince with a layup to regain a 23-22 advantage.

After another strong finish from Castle, Edgecombe drew a shooting foul and calmly knocked down both free throws to seal the win for Team Vince.

Edgecombe finished with six points and two rebounds, while San Antonio's Carter Bryant added five in a balanced team effort that saw every rostered player score for Team Vince.

For Team Melo, San Antonio Spurs' Dylan Harper led the way with eight points and five rebounds. Clingan added six points, and Spurs' Castle contributed four points and three rebounds in the loss.