There’s something special about watching a young athlete achieve their dreams while their family cheers from the stands. V.J. Edgecombe experienced exactly that moment Tuesday night in Las Vegas, putting up 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block against the Washington Wizards in the NBA Summer League. His mother, Bendra Rolle, was there to witness every moment, her celebration becoming an instant viral sensation.
How Did Bendra Rolle’s Courtside Celebration Capture Hearts?
The Philadelphia 76ers captured the perfect moment when Edgecombe swished a three-pointer late in the third quarter. In the video, as Edgecombe made the shot, the camera panned to Rolle, who threw her hand up in celebration and cheered by shouting, “Yeahhhh!” The 76ers posted this moment on their X account, and the video has since garnered over 17,000 views.
Philadelphia drafted the guard with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. This courtside celebration represents the culmination of years of struggle and sacrifice that both mother and son endured together.
On draft night, Edgecombe paid tribute to his mother and spoke about what he remembered from when they struggled to make ends meet. “Them long nights. I had no electricity, I lived off a generator for seven years. Seeing what she had to go through to feed us, it’s crazy,” he said.
During his post-draft press conference, when a reporter asked him about these difficult times, Edgecombe expanded on the experience. “Man, what was going through my head is how are we going to get electricity to stay on without it turning off in the middle of the night when we were sleeping. It was just tough times. But like I said, my mom, my grandma, they work hard every day to make sure that we slept good at night, make sure everything was well. It was just credit to them.”
VJ’s mom and manager are here in the front row cheering him on ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/nlDlYH3iDW
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2025
The 76ers drafted Edgecombe after he had a strong college season with the Baylor Bears. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals for the Baylor Bears. He helped lead his team to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils.
Edgecombe made his debut in Philadelphia 76ers colors and recorded 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal in a 93-89 loss to the Utah Jazz. However, after that performance, he was sidelined due to a thumb sprain.
Following the 74-58 win against the Washington Wizards, in which he scored all of his points in the second half after a scoreless first half, it remains uncertain if he will play in the 76ers’ game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.