Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe left a lasting impression during the Summer League with his athleticism. Fans and critics see him as one of the top young stars who could make an impact for the 76ers organization and the entire NBA. With his athleticism, however, he drew a lot of comparisons to an eight-time All-Star.On Thursday, Edgecombe spoke to reporters following the team's 99-84 loss to the New York Knicks in their first preseason game in Abu Dhabi. According to one media member, fans from Hong Kong have been amazed by how he gets up for a dunk. The interviewer then said that many fans believe the rookie guard could be the next iteration of former star Vince Carter.Edgecombe was flattered by being compared to the Hall of Fame dunker, but downplayed it."That's elite comp," Edgecombe said. "But I'm VJ, man."At the Draft Combine in May, Edgecombe left many fans speechless by recording a 40-inch vertical. Because of his dunks, the high-flying athlete was a fan favorite even while he was at Baylor.But VJ Edgecombe can do a lot of other things on the court, not just dunk. Still, it's the one skill that fans love to see from him every night. Sixers fans are looking forward to how he'll play alongside veteran stars Joel Embiid and Paul George this 2025-26 NBA season.In his first preseason game, he was on the floor for 30 minutes. The 20-year-old rookie finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists on 30.8% shooting from the field.The 76ers have a lot of positive things to say about VJ EdgecombeBefore the 76ers started their preseason games, there was already obvious hype around VJ Edgecombe. His head coach, Nick Nurse, and most of his teammates have raved about him and his potential. Nurse spoke to reporters on Media Day and had high praise for Edgecombe."Well, first of all, he’s got a lot of really good qualities and one of the qualities he has is he’s got a really good engine. Or gas tank or whatever you want to—and that means he’s able to put in a lot of work," Nurse said.The head coach added that most of the things that Edgecombe does athletically pop off. He said that since the 76ers selected the rookie guard with the third overall choice, he has significantly improved his shooting.Even Embiid had high praise for the young guard during his time talking to reporters."I like him a lot. Obviously, I’ve talked to him a lot. Even before, as soon as we drafted him, I just knew I would like him," the 2023 MVP said.Embiid believes he can serve as a mentor not just to VJ Edgecombe, but to Jared McCain as well.