Basketball’s underdog-friendly nature leaves it almost guaranteed that within every season, there’s at least one undrafted gem who emerges from obscurity and becomes a fan favorite along the hoops scene. Contenders were aplenty in 2024-25, but with No. 1 ranks in nearly every traditional statistic, Justin Edwards presented himself as an impossible-to-ignore candidate. Fluid and well-controlled as he initiates the Philadelphia 76ers’ fastbreak attack, Edwards conquers a rookie-versus-veteran showdown against Russell Westbrook, evading one of league history’s great open-floor artists with a slippery spin move that unlocks a number’s advantage. Left with only one thing to do, Edwards finishes the job by hanging an alley-oop beyond Nikola Jokić’s reach, positioning a teammate for a highlight alley-oop jam. Late-game heroics by the Denver Nuggets’ stars helped them secure January 31, 2025’s win, but Edwards was nevertheless productive, contributing a nine-point, five-rebound, four-assist, one-steal, one-block, three-triple effort in a 32-minute start. · Feb 1, 2025