Justin Edwards is in the ‘grind’ of his first NBA offseason after a successful rookie campaign with the Sixers
Edwards, who went undrafted but eventually earned a standard contract, spent Tuesday greeting NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe ahead of this weekend’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.
Justin Edwards received an unusual gift Tuesday: a race car door featuring the No. 19.
It was part of a swap on the 76ers’ practice court with NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe, who in turn received a No. 19 Sixers jersey. Both athletes “wear” those digits and met ahead of Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, since Joe Gibbs Racing — for which Briscoe drives — and the Sixers are owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
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Edwards was much more relaxed than this time last year, when he was about a week away from the 2024 NBA draft. The Philadelphia native, who played one college season at Kentucky, went unselected in the two-round draft but signed a two-way contract with the Sixers. He then parlayed that into a standard deal — and averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while starting 26 of the 44 games he played — as a bright spot during a woeful Sixers season.
“It feels good that I don’t have to deal with it anymore,” Edwards said. “I’m happy to watch [the draft] and see where all my homies go.”
Edwards has spent the bulk of his first full NBA offseason in his hometown, other than a vacation to Jamaica and a trip to Dallas to work out with star teammate Tyrese Maxey. Edwards said he has been prioritizing jump shot consistency — he made 45.5% of his field-goal attempts and 36.3% of his three-pointers last season — gaining strength, and refining his eating habits. He hopes that will build on a season in which the 21-year-old was lauded for his sound decision-making and willingness to guard the opponent’s best player.
“It’s been a grind,” Edwards said. “Just trying to focus on the things that’s going to help me be better and help the team next year.”
Edwards believes he will participate in the NBA Summer League next month in Salt Lake City and then Las Vegas. No matter how much Edwards actually sees the court — “veteran” players often play only a game or two — his presence on the roster would be valuable as a rookie success story. The Sixers enter next week’s NBA draft with the No. 3 overall pick and the 35th selection.
“The main thing is just to stay positive,” Edwards said when asked what advice he would give to those new draftees. “There’s going to be guys that get drafted high that are going to expect to play early, and they might not play until the second half of the season. Just to stay positive and control what you can control.”
Tuesday’s time on the practice court was much more casual for Edwards, who rebounded Briscoe’s shots from the free-throw and three-point lines. Briscoe hails from Indiana and is a “huge basketball fan.” He naturally hopes that the Pacers can “pull out some miracle” after falling behind, 3-2, to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals while star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is hampered by a calf injury. Even though Briscoe said he has met other professional athletes throughout his career, Edwards was the first NBA player with whom he has spent time.
Ditto for Edwards, who acknowledged Tuesday that he has never watched a NASCAR race. Now that he has met Briscoe, Edwards said he will tune in to this weekend’s race on television.
Yet when asked if he would ever counter Briscoe’s on-court appearance by taking a spin on a racetrack, Edwards said, “I’m going to leave that to him.”