V.J. Edgecombe outlined his aim to replicate LeBron James' longevity after the Philadelphia 76ers rookie broke a 22-year record held by the NBA's all-time leading scorer on his league debut.

Edgecombe made an unforgettable start to his NBA career on Wednesday, scoring 34 points to inspire the Sixers to a thrilling 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics.

The 19-year-old etched his name into the history books with that performance, recording the most points by an NBA debutant since Wilt Chamberlain had 43 points in 1959.

His total also surpassed Allen Iverson’s 76ers franchise debut record of 30 points, set in 1996.

Edgecombe shot 13-of-26 from the field, including five from beyond the arc, while also adding seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.

He made his presence felt immediately, scoring 14 points in the opening quarter — the most ever by a player in their first NBA period, surpassing a record previously set by James on his 2003 bow for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speaking after the game, Edgecombe expressed his delight at being compared to various legends of the game.

𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝-𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬. pic.twitter.com/Yz4uxHYm8w

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 23, 2025

“I worked every day, and all my life, for moments like this. This is my dream,” Edgecombe said.

“I prayed for this. I always prayed to make it to the NBA and to stay in the NBA. Man, yeah, that was crazy. That surpassed my expectations, to be honest.

“It feels good to have my name mentioned with LeBron. It’s amazing.

"But for me, it’s about longevity. Knowing LeBron’s been doing it for 20-plus years — I hope I can do that too.”

Edgecombe’s performance ranks as the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history. Only Chamberlain and Frank Selvy, who scored 35 for the Milwaukee Hawks against Boston in 1954, have scored more in their first games.

Head coach Nick Nurse was quick to praise the young star’s maturity, saying: “That’s an amazing first-game performance. It really is. That’s a neat list to get on.”

Philadelphia are back in action on Saturday, against the Charlotte Hornets.