Editor's note:Get live updates on LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers here.
Having LeBron James as a teammate must feel like winning the lottery.
Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe seemed pretty stoked after theNBA's all-time scorer announced he was joining the team with a two-year, $8 million contract on Friday, July 24.
Edgecombe, who won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP awardat this year's NBA All-Star festivities, posted the celebration to his Instagram stories shortly after the news broke. He shared a photo of himself holding his hand to his head looking up at the camera smiling in the same way as James' famous "Smiling through it all! Can't believe this my life" Instagram story.
After James made the original post in 2018, the pool
photo and caption instantly became a meme. His son Bryce also posted a version of the photo in 2024.
VJ Edgecombe recreated LeBron’s “Can’t believe this my life” meme on his IG stories upon hearing the news that the King was going to be his 76ers teammate 😂🏆 pic.twitter.com/KFoLhNYUWK
— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) July 24, 2026
The four-time NBA champion was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia or a return to the Miami Heat or his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
James will join 2022-2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 NBA Finals champion Jaylen Brown, who was shockinglytraded from the Boston Celtics earlier in the month for Paul George and four draft picks.
Edgecombe is among several other notable figures who reacted to James' decision. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro declared the day LeBron James Day, Philadelphia native and basketball icon Dawn Staley was thrilled, and Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley offered a warm welcome.
The 2026-2027 NBA schedule has not been released yet, but the 76ers open preseason with a game against the Celtics on Saturday, October 10. This past season, Philadelphia made it to the conference semifinals where they were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VJ Edgecombe celebrates LeBron James joining 76ers with 'Can't believe this my life' meme
