I don’t even know where to start. I’m just so thankful. I made it from Bimini, from just a tiny island, all the way to the Sixers.

I’ll never forget draft night. I was in the green room, in New York, with my mom, my coach, and all my loved ones. I had my cousins and my aunties with me.

So we back there, I’m chillin’ with my family, vibing. Watching the commissioner call Cooper and Dylan. But I’ve also got one eye on my agent, you know? Then he gets a call, and he just looks at me and nods. Like the Secret Service or something. Haha. After that it was all a blur. I was just trying to gather myself to stand up, hug my family, hug everyone, then go up on stage. Right when you come off, there’s an ESPN interview. Then I think it’s like Good Morning America or something. 

I remember they were like, “We heard you have something inside your suit.”

I opened up my jacket and looked down, and I just started tearing up. It said Sugar for my first coach, Grathen “Sugar” Robins. He passed away a while back. He was the first person who told me I could make it to the league. He always believed in me. Always. Seeing his name …. that’s when it all really hit me. It was like, Damn, we really did it. I know you up there proud of me.

It was definitely an emotional night. One moment I’ll never forget is when I was talking in an interview about my mom, and I cried just remembering the struggle. I mean, we’re from Bimini. Our island is seven miles long, half a mile wide. So if a tsunami come, pray for us! But seriously, things like this don’t happen for our people every day. Getting to the NBA is hard. Getting to the NBA from Bimini? I don’t know the exact odds, but it’s gotta be like 0.000001% chance. That’s probably not even enough zeros, to be honest.

So yeah, I was emotional as hell.

My family used to live off a generator. 

Now I play for the Philadelphia 76ers.

After the ceremony, my family and friends had a little celebration for me. Everybody was lit. But as it got later and later, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me, in the back of mind, like Yo, I am TIRED, bro. I was exhausted. All the adrenaline and tears and celebrating. I couldn’t wait to go to bed. When I finally felt like everything was kinda dying down and we had enough memories to last a lifetime …. I snuck off a little early. I went to my room and changed. I’m like, Man, I’m out of these clothes. That was legit the longest I’ve ever had on a suit. Then I crashed.

Picture me just stretched out in the hotel room, on top of the covers straight dozing, you know. Down for the count. Maybe a little drool. Haha. Then all of sudden my phone start buzzing. It’s one of my homies.

I’m like, “Yo, what’s good?”

Tired as you know what, wiping my eyes. 

Bruh is yelling. 

“Man, what are you DOING???!” 

Da, da, da. Basically, Get your ass up.

And listen, I guess I kind of get it … I just got drafted to the NBA. So I got up and went to hang out with my friends at their Airbnb. Now, I could tell a story and say I stayed up the rest of night partying til the sun come up, but I gotta be honest. I was so tired I fell asleep again on the couch at their crib. Lol. When I finally woke up, it was the next morning. And I had to leave in three hours for Philly.

I had to be on the PJ, you know.

NBA — big time now. You know the vibes. 

Nah. Just playing. I’m on that rookie deal.

I drove.

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If you ask me, every country is kinda similar, where you have the tourist side, and then you have the rough side — or just where the locals live. 

Bimini is no different.

The culture on my island, and in the Bahamas in general, it’s a loving culture. Walking around, you see a lot of the elders sitting outside chillin’, people-watching. It’s normal for us to wave or greet everyone we see. “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” “How are you doing?” Or something like that. And just keep it pushing. You won’t find that everywhere, everyone talking to each other. But in Bimini, everyone knows everybody. So if anything happens, the whole island knows. It’s a beautiful island, too. The water is crystal clear. And everyone’s house is painted different colors. I remember times I painted my grandma’s house. Sometimes people want a new house theme or color, just to get a different vibe.

Growing up, I spent most of my time outside in the yard playing with my cousins or on a court somewhere with my friends. We didn’t have electricity running through the house during the daytime usually. We didn’t have everything we wanted, but we had everything we needed, you know? My mom made sure of that. Being raised by her and my grandma was honestly the biggest blessing.

They always preached that manners and respect would get you far in the world. And Mom made sure she disciplined us when she know we do something that ain’t right! I used to get a lot of whoopin’s. Haha. I got the most out of my mom kids for sure. The shoe…. Yeahhh. She had them little plastic jelly-type slippers, you know what I mean? Man, them right there???? Woof. They were a little flimsy, but they stung. We brought it on ourselves just coming home late, after the streetlights came on and things like that. Oh, man, I’m not mad at all. It taught me discipline, and it kept me safe.

I started hooping when I was seven or eight, because of Sugar. 

He influenced youth basketball on the whole island, starting from my mom’s generation. It was his dream to give back to our community. Something funny about him — man, he drove his golf cart everywhere. I honestly can’t picture him without it. It was a two-seater, with this little iron bed, you know how trucks have in the back? Like that. On the island, everyone got golf carts, man. I think it’s more golf carts than cars, honestly. Anyway, that’s how I’ll always remember him, with his sunglasses on and a big smile, driving up the road to my house.

When he held basketball camps, he made sure to invite every kid out to the park, to help us get better and see who really loved the game. We used to have really intense games. But we were just kids enjoying ourselves. We played all the time at a court we call The Pond. And we played in a park — we call this place The Field. I had an aunt that lived nearby, and when the sun started to set, she used to come outside and holler at us.

Like, “Go home!! It’s getting too late!”

Some nights I didn’t want to go, but then she’d say she’s going to call my mom, and I’m going to get whooped. Hahah. So that was the only way to get me away from the courts.

I will never forget those long days and fun nights in Bimini.

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I have a favorite memory I can tell you, but in a strange way, it’s also kind of sad.

It was the summer of 2014. I was a super young kid. Like age nine. That summer, Sugar took our youth basketball team to compete in a tournament in Freeport. He paid for me to be able to go. This was my first trip anywhere ever … I don’t think I’d ever been more excited for anything in my whole life. It was like, I get to fly on a plane? To play basketball?? And listen, it was a tiny little plane and only a 15-, 20-minute flight, to be honest. But it felt so freaking cool at the time. To really understand, you have to picture it from a child’s eyes. I still remember the way it felt looking out the window down at the islands, little sandy spots in the big sea. It was a little scary, but also a little magical.

The tournament was called HOYTES. I’ll never forget there was a team there from Nassau, called Showtime. Everyone thought they were the best team and were going to get the trophy. But the thing is, there was this other team that nobody was even thinking about. A team from Bimini — seven miles long — that you never knew was going to win it all.

To any kids facing those doubts, if you’re reading this — don’t believe what they tell you.

– VJ Edgecombe

Man it was so dope. I just have to give so much credit to Sugar. He believed in all the kids on the island. He always used to talk about wanting to see a change for us. That’s what’s stuck with me over the years. He sponsored me and other kids, too, so he knew better than anyone the different obstacles everyone faced at home. He just wanted us to have a better life for ourselves and our families. And he blessed us, man.

That little memory will always have a special place in my heart. I will always cherish it because when I think about it now, it feels like we won the tournament for him. It’s almost like we got to say, “Thank you for everything. This one’s for you.”

But the truth is, we didn’t. One year later, he passed away. He was battling an illness that we didn’t know about because we were just kids. I didn’t process it for a minute. Didn’t believe it for real. It hurt me a lot, especially because I felt like I was his favorite. Definitely, I felt like his favorite. I learned so many little things from him just by watching how he treated others, how he communicated, how he was always engaged and present. He helped me grow so much with basketball, but also in life. So it truly devastated me. In my mind, it was like, How could this happen? We were just in Freeport winning the tournament. Can’t we go back? Can’t we just be there forever?

I went to his funeral. All of the kids on the island that played sports were there, and everyone else whose lives he impacted. We just wanted to pay our respects. But the thing is, it was definitely going to be hard for us to sit in church and listen to the ceremony for a funeral at that age. So I remember all of the kids, we stood together outside. Even now, it still hurts picturing it. More than a dozen little kids dressed in black suits, huddled together outside of a church for a funeral.

I hate that he never got to see me walk across that stage in New York, just like he predicted. I just hope he’s up there smiling.

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In 2020, I moved to the U.S. to go to school. I was 14 turning 15. And at the time, I had no college offers. I have a brother, Tario, who’s four years older than me. He was enrolled at a university in Florida. Covid came around, his school was shut down, so he moved to South Florida, got an apartment, and took me in. He worked from home, while I was just there in the house playing video games. I had no worries. Nobody knew where life was going, so I just played the game all day every day while he worked. But he sacrificed a lot for me. Now, he’s like my best friend.

Through a Bahamian friend, I got connected to an AAU coach, Coach Ricks, and from there, I started playing with the South Florida Kings. Coach Ricks knew that I had nobody to take me to practice and games, so he used to come pick me up. He also worked out with me in the mornings when he had time. He believed in me from the jump. He thought I was the best player in the county, at the time. I played for him for two years. Then it was time for me to go. I made that decision on my own, before really even talking to anybody. I told Tario like, “Man, I’m going to make it happen. This won’t be all for nothing.”

So for certain schools, the top schools in the country — the Montverde’s, the LuHi’s’s, the IMG’s, those types of schools — they recruit kids to play on that stage. And it was LuHi’s first year of really being at that level. They’d seen me play and wanted me to be a part of it. I remember telling Coach Ricks like, “I need somewhere to go to school. I want to continue just growing my name, trying to get some offers. I understand my path is different from everyone else’s. And I don’t mind that. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m going to play my hardest to get to the NBA.” And yeah, he had some connects. He said, “LuHi is ready.” I didn’t have to pay for housing or anything. I’m so grateful to LuHi for everything they did for me. That’s where my life changed.

That was 2022.

Fast-forward to summer 2024, and I’m getting invited to play for Team Bahamas for the Olympic qualifiers.

I was like, Why not? 

It felt like a good opportunity to level up my game by practicing with that caliber of players — NBA players like Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon. Something for the exposure, you know? Basically, I wasn’t expecting to actually play. Haha. I thought I was going to get the young buck treatment. You know, sit on the sidelines, watch the game, practice….. But also, deep down I was like, I can’t let that happen. 

On the first day of practice, I wanted to make myself seen. I’m talking noise to everybody, just building my confidence. I knew that being younger, they’re going to think you’re scared. And I was not scared. I just thought, Man, y’all going to remember me in this practice. If y’all don’t ever see me again, y’all going to remember me. I couldn’t waste my opportunity. Even if I didn’t get in a game, I had to show them what I could do. I learned a lot from those practices, too. We weren’t there to mess around. It was serious, every time. That was the main thing I took away from it. I remember in Greece, they put the young ones versus the NBA players, and we held our own for sure.

I remember the first game we played against Finland. They had fans there with chants and all that. Seeing different countries showing their passion for the game, man. That was amazing. Then, Coach threw me in the game, and I was ready. The first time I stepped on the floor, I’m like, It’s basketball, I’m not going to overthink this. I just went out there and picked up, guarded, made shots, made plays at the rim, playmade. Whatever I had to do, I was willing to do. And it was a breakout game for me off rip. I had something like 20 points, while only shooting I think 11 shots, and being on the floor with pros.

I was just playing my role. That’s all it was, just playing basketball.

Then I went to Baylor.

Coach Drew’s impact on me was tremendous. He had a big impact on my life, especially off the court, spiritually, with staying connected to God. That’s something I really pride myself on. I know the ball will stop bouncing one day. Hopefully no time soon. But whenever that happens I just want to make sure I’m guided by my values and my faith. 

That’s mainly why I chose Baylor. For their culture and the standards over there. Even though we didn’t have the year we wanted on the floor, I felt like we all grew off the floor. The wins and losses, it only matters for one season. But your character will impact you for life. I won’t lie, losing to Duke was tough. In North Carolina, by the way. We played them 30 minutes away from their city, so their fans were definitely in the building. The atmosphere was crazy. And who doesn’t want to win the national championship? But only one team out of 365 will. I just tried to take something away from the whole experience. At least we went down against the No. 1 team. I ain’t too mad at that. I’m still mad that we took the L, though. I probably always will be.

But that’s OK. 

That’s how I know it all meant something to me.

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The journey has been crazy, man. It’s just surreal. 

Philly, I’m proud to be one of you, now. 

Thank you to the 76ers organization for giving me the opportunity. I couldn’t be more grateful to be here.

Now, I’ve gotten the chance to explore a little bit. I’ve had some Philly cheesesteaks. I’ve run up the Rocky Steps. I’m just getting comfortable and getting my bearings. But I’m really looking forward to earning your respect, and the respect of my teammates and coaches. I’m just trying to be a sponge and learn and absorb, and hopefully get better. 

I’ve been playing it all back in my head for the past few weeks, just trying to process everything. Thinking about the work I put in, and the sacrifices my family made. I just wanted to write a little something for my people who got me here, and for all the kids still wishing. I hope I can do my own small part to continue Sugar’s vision for inspiring the kids where I’m from.

There was a time when I didn’t think any of this was possible. I’ve heard it all before. “You can’t do this, you can’t do that.” I had to learn how to block it out and not let it bother me. To any kids facing those doubts, if you’re reading this — don’t believe what they tell you. Let it motivate you to keep trying harder.

They will ALWAYS say, You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.

They will be wrong.

With approximately 340 games broadcasting across ESPN Platforms this summer, Little League® Baseball and Softball is proud to launch new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that emphasize the strategic initiatives of the organization.   

With these PSAs on rotation throughout the broadcasts, in addition to video promotions of the Little League Flagship Store and the importance of sportsmanship, these new PSAs showcase the strategic efforts of the world’s largest and most trusted youth sports organization.  

Disaster Relief Efforts 

Year over year, Little League continues to see local leagues experience devastating effects from natural disasters, including recent devastation in the last year with a hurricane in North Carolina, wildfires in California, flooding in Texas, and more. Filmed on location at North Asheville (N.C.) Little League, recipient of the 2025 Little League Carl E. Stotz Community of the Year Award, this PSA showcases the importance of Little League during these times of devastation, and that it’s on everyone to team up to help programs impacted by disaster to receive the support they need to rebuild, recover, and continue providing children with the life lessons learned through youth baseball and softball. Whether it’s repairing fields or replacing equipment, the Little League Disaster Relief Fund allows Little League to provide support to local communities during times of greatest need. Unfortunately, disasters occur every year in communities all around the world, and the Little League fields are many times the first place that families and neighborhoods turn to.  Learn more about these efforts and how you can help support, at LittleLeague.org/Impact.  While the disaster relief fund is new for Little League in 2025, the organization has provided three leagues with grants earlier this summer to recover from the impact of natural disasters: Martinez Evans (Ga.) Little League, Canton (N.C.) Little League, and Indian Rocks Beach (Fla.) Little League.

Beyond the Diamond, by Softball Legend Cat Osterman  

Over the past 10 years, interest in softball has continued to flourish with an 8-10% rise in participation at the Little League Softball division, but the celebration of the game goes well beyond the diamond. Narrated by softball legend,  Cat Osterman, this PSA shows the strength of the sisterhood that softball provides and, more importantly, the opportunities participation in the Little League Softball® program provides to young Girls with Game all around the world each year. It also shines the spotlight on the successes of Little League Softball alumni, including those who have gone on from their own community diamonds to participate in professional softball with Athletes Unlimited. A longtime Little League supporter, Osterman is a Bear Creek Little League (Houston, Texas) grad, 2016 Little League Hall of Excellence Enshrinee, and inaugural Athletes Unlimited (AU) Softball Champion and Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) General Manager. Little League and AU have been partners since the program’s official launch in 2020, aligned to grow the sport of softball at the grassroots level and to inspire female athletes. This partnership is on full display at the AUSL Pro Games at the LLSWS, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, and Little League Softball Unlimited events. 

While an inspiration on its own, the new Beyond the Diamond PSA is a continuation of Little League’s strategic efforts to promote and celebrate female opportunities in the Little League program and joins a slate of Girls with Game PSAs. Launched in 2019, the Girls with Game Initiative is dedicated to honoring all the girls and women who have made the Little League program what it is today and those who inspire the future generation of female participants at every level. While the organization celebrated 50 years of girls in its program last year, the foundation of Girls with Game is only getting started, and Little League is gearing up for the next generation of Girls with Game.  

As a mission-driven nonprofit youth sports organization trusted by millions of parents around the world each year, Little League works with its partners at ESPN each year on these PSAs to help educate, inform, and inspire the millions of viewers who tune in to watch the approximately 340 broadcast games each summer. In 2024, Little League promoted the importance of its Child Protection Program and understanding its young audiences, while previous versions have showcased the impact of sportsmanship and role models, as well as the effect of parents and coaches on their love for the game. 

 Eugeneans who want to show some love and support youth sports: Riley Rink, a 12-year-old catcher from Eugene, has been selected as a finalist in the nationwide Youth Athlete of the Year competition. The winner will take home a cash award of $25,000, but more importantly, Rink’s mother Amy Rink says it is a national honor recognizing heart, drive and leadership in young athletes. The competition is supported by V Foundation, Sports Illustrated, 3Brand and Why Not You Foundation.  

“He is so quiet and a calm guy,” his mother says. She says that the catcher is under a lot of pressure during games, and she was surprised at first that Riley seems to handle the high pressure calmly and well. 

Rink played football for several years before starting his baseball career not too long ago; he is in his third season as a catcher for Churchill Babe Ruth 12U. It is not always easy to start a new sport, but Rink has shown dedication, his mom says.

 “He worked his butt off. He goes to school, comes home and then nothing but baseball,” Amy Rink says. She adds that youth sports are about so much more than playing a game and that it is the community that loves and lifts youth athletes up as they strive to be better.

Voting for Youth Athlete of the Year opened on July 28 and goes until August 7. Rink needs enough support to remain in the top 20 in the division to move on to the next rounds. To help Riley Rink win National Youth Athlete of the Year,  supporters can cast a vote at VoteRiley.com once per day (meaning you can vote every day).

“He knows his part of the game,” Amy Rink says of her son’s skills.
 Vote for Riley Rink at VoteRiley.com. If Rink is selected as the Youth Athlete of the Year, he will receive a $25,000 award from the program supported by V Foundation, Sports Illustrated, 3 Brand and Why Not You Foundation.

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(MARYVILLE, MO) – “Just being around the kids and coaches and the new guys, honestly, just coming back to Maryville, it feels like I’m coming back to my second home.”

Trevor Hudgins, a three-time NCAA DII Basketball National Champion guard at Northwest Missouri State and former member of the Houston Rockets in the NBA, helped give back to the younger generation by helping out at a Northwest youth camp on Tuesday. The Bearcats’ all-time leading scorer got nostalgic returning to his old stomping grounds.

“I got goosebumps when I arrived in town, especially here (in Bearcat Arena). I mean, all the banners and all those numbers up there and the years and everything is just crazy. It just brings back a lot of memories,” said Hudgins.”

“When you say local celebrity, that’s the real deal, and that’s a tribute not only to his career here but just the type of person he is,” said Bearcats head coach Matt Keeley. “He’s so well-loved and has endeared himself to Maryville and Bearcat Nation, and so certainly very thankful and grateful that he comes back and gives us his time.”

Bearcats second-year coach Matt Keeley actually recruited Hudgins out of high school in Kansas, so the two are familiar with one another. Hudgens likes what he sees from Keeley and the new era he’s looking to create with Northwest.

“What (Keeley is) doing with the team is really nice. I feel like he’s in a good direction. He likes to play fast. He likes to get up and down,” said Hudgins. “Then just getting to know some of these new guys is really fun. I’m very excited for the future for him.”

“Getting to recruit him out of Manhattan High School, I was a high school teacher,” said Keeley. “That was my first job, at Manhattan High School and a Western Kansas guy. So we knew about him a little bit, but never even thought that he would go on to have as great a career as he’s had.”

Hudgins won three national championships under Coach Ben McCollum, the new head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten. To see McCollum smoothly transition his successful ways of coaching from the DII level to now a Power 5 DI school hasn’t surprised Hudgins in the least. 

“He just wins at every level because he surrounds himself with winners and people that want to win and want to improve themselves every single day,” said Hudgins. “This next step is huge. Iowa City is a really nice city. I was up there for a couple weeks and I think he’s definitely going to keep on doing his thing. He’s definitely going to be Coach Mac up there for sure.”

Hudgins’ former Bearcat teammate Mitch Mascari just completed playing in the NBA Summer League for the Phoenix Suns. Hudgins is no stranger of playing in the Summer League himself with his time with the Rockets, and gave Mascari some friendly advice.

“I just told him to enjoy it. It’s just a different experience. You get all these draft picks in front of you. You get celebrities on the baseline and coaches. Everyone that you see on TV kind of shows out and shows up,” said Hudgins. “It was just really exciting to see him out there. I hope he enjoyed it. I think Summer League is a really good time. I think it’s fun.”

As for Hudgins’ professional career, in early July, the 26-year-old signed a one-year extension to continue playing basketball overseas in France with Le Mans Sarthe. He thrived last season, averaging 15.6 points a game, one of the best scorers in the French League. After some growing pains of learning a new way of living, Hudgens is now learning how to speak French, and he’s going back to a team and a culture he likes and fits his play style.

“I’m just very blessed and thankful for the team to offer me another opportunity, another contract,” said Hudgins. “It’s been really fun. I’m just ready to keep it rolling. I’m enjoying life over there for sure.” 

Fans of the Florida Atlantic 2023 Final Four team will get to see one of the star players back in town on Saturday.

Nick Boyd, who played for the Owls for four years from 2020-2024 will host a free youth basketball camp at nearby Boca Raton High School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. He expects to see several of his former teammates there as well.

“I wanted to do a camp in Boca because of the impact the city had on me. I know a bunch of my teammates will be in town and I had a bunch of different relationships over the four years there. It’s the best place to make it happen and I’m just excited to get back. Plus, you can’t beat a trip back to Boca Raton,” Boyd said.

Boyd was a key member of the 2023 team that made it to the school’s first ever Final Four in Houston. After his stint with FAU, Boyd played last season at San Diego State and will finish his college eligibility this year at the University of Wisconsin.

Boyd says his time in Boca Raton were some of the most impactful years of his life.

To sign up for the camp: https://gseworldwide.leagueapps.com/camps/4678930-nick-boyd-youth-basketball-camp?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaepnaJpKAE7yNojMMk8b5DeCa6AqeTPSXMJ5yvzwKa0JO4DHhWFGQGwLKZJbw_aem_H7GuCceY15XoxARjo1Ndnw