SPORTS SECTION E
Monday, February 16, 2026
‘VJ’ earns MVP honours By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net VALDEZ “VJ” Edgecombe had the kind of All-Star Weekend breakthrough every young player dreams about. Playing for Vince Carter’s squad in the four-team Castrol Rising Stars tournament at the Intuit Dome, Edgecombe delivered two late-game winners that secured Team Vince the Rising Stars title and earned him tournament MVP honors. The Rising Stars format this year used a short-tournament setup with four teams (three NBA teams and a G-League selection team), two semifinal games played to 40 points and a championship game played to 25. Each team was coached by an NBA veteran featuring Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers and with that structure it produced condensed, hightempo games. In the semifinal, Edgecombe and Team Vince faced Team T-Mac. Edgecombe poured in 17 points
(shooting an efficient 6-8) in that game and was the closer. After trailing, he scored the final 10 points for team Vince and hit the go-ahead bucket that sealed the game. Team Vince won that semifinal 41-36, with Edgecombe’s surge turning a tight finish into a comfortable advance. The championship was a one-possession affair against Team Melo, staying low-scoring and physical throughout. Edgecombe contributed six points in the final and, in the last minute after an offensive rebound and a foul, calmly sank two free throws to put Team Vince ahead 25-24 and ultimately clinch the title. Post-game Edgecombe said: “Vince was telling us, ‘Just go! Just go! Keep playing hard!’” crediting his coach Vince Carter’s push. “I just wanted to win. To be honest, I told Vince that we were going to win it,” said Edgecombe. Other rookies who drew notice across the night included fellow Rookie of the Year candidates Kon Knueppel, and Derik Queen, plus several G-League callups who
TEAM Vince guard Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe (77) of the Philadelphia 76ers, right, passes as Team Melo guard Jeremiah Fears (0) of the New Orleans Pelicans defends during a final in NBA basketball’s Rising Stars event Friday, February 13, 2026, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photos/Mark J Terrill) showed flashes in short minutes. But Edgecombe’s late runs and the free-throw finish in the final were the
defining moments of the tournament, and the league recognised that with the MVP award. Two clutch
finishes, a semifinal where he scored the last 10 points, a championship clincher from the line, and the MVP
trophy to take home. For a rookie looking to build a profile, this was a statement performance.
Judoka Xavion Johnson brings home bronze By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
JUDOKA Xavion Johnson opened his 2026 judokan season over the weekend with a bronze medal performance at the Tunisia African Cup in Tunisia, North Africa.
XAVION Johnson opened his 2026 judokan season over the weekend with a bronze medal performance at the Tunisia African Cup in Tunisia, North Africa. The top Bahamian junior competitor moved up to the -73 kilogram class in his first competition in seven months. He shared third place with Ilias Jacobs of Morocco. Youssel Elkassar of Egypt won the gold, while Myhsmmadin Loiqov of Tunisia got the silver. In brushing off the cobwebs, Johnson won his debut at the tournament in the heavier weight class with a win over a hometown competitor from Tunisia. Johnson went on to win his next match against a competitor from Morocco to move into the bronze medal round. He suffered his first loss to an Egyptian and ended up pulling off his final
match against Morocco to clinch the bronze. "My performance wasn’t the best but I’m fighting to be proud of myself," saiid Johnson, who was accompanied in Tunisia by his coach, two-time Olympian Nicholas Tritton of Tritton Performance. In critiquing his performance, Johnson admitted that there's still more work to be done. "Although I medalled, I know I didn't fight my absolute best," Johnson pointed out. "So I need to focus on closing that gap with my coaching team." Up next for Johnson will be the Central American and Caribbean Games qualifiers in Panama March 22-28. And the CAC Games are set for July 28 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Hopefully at this meet, Johnson will improve on his performance. "I am grateful but still unsatisfied," Johnson stressed. "My goal is always gold, to hear our national anthem play with me on the podium."
Johnson, 19, currently trains out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is under the supervision of Tritton, Sasa Mehmedovic and Joshua White where he hopes for a brighter future. As he prepares for participation in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, Johnson said his wish is for "continued growth and success in my judo career, especially as I transition into my new weight class." Johnson previously competed in the -66kg class, in which he was ranked at number 20 with 145 points in the world, at the end of 2025 with the highlight of his season coming in August when he captured the bronze at the Junior Panamerican Games in Asunción, Paraguay. He also placed fifth in both the Birmingham Junior European Cup in July in Birmingham, Great Britain. And the PanAmerican and Oceania Championships in April in Lima, Peru.