Long before Justin Edwards suited up for his hometown Sixers, he was an elementary school student at Smedley in Frankford, dreaming of one day reaching the NBA.
“When I get older, I want to be an NBA player,” Edwards wrote as a student. “I am going to college, then I am going from there. When I get to the NBA, I'm going to give [the] homeless a home to live, food and money. I'm going to give my family money too, [and] I am going to have my own sneaker.”
Edwards said he believes he wrote that in second or third grade and thought it was “crazy” that the school still had it.
From the teachers who helped mold his young mind, many of whom remain at the school, to the current Smedley students cheering at the mere mention of his name, Justin Edwards is more than a celebrity at his former school — he's a living legend.
On Wednesday, Smedley honored Edwards by renaming its gymnasium the Justin Edwards Gym, with the motto “Where Dreams Begin,” during a ceremony attended by students, teachers and family.
“Today is about more than just a basketball player,” said Isaac Hebron, assistant principal of instruction. “This is about a student who once walked these hallways here at Smedley and dreamed about coming to the NBA, but before the NBA, he had dreams of attending Kentucky, where he had a great college career, and then he ended up with the 76ers.”
Edwards' basketball journey took him from an unranked prospect to one of Pennsylvania's top high school players. He went on to attend Kentucky and eventually returned home, signing with the Sixers as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Not everyone may be able to relate to playing in the NBA, but Edwards' journey is about more than basketball. His story shows students the heights they can reach, regardless of their particular dreams. More than anything, his story is one of perseverance, confidence and — as Edwards mentioned when addressing the room full of students — the support he received along the way from family, teachers and others.
“I'm not really good with this stuff, but I want to just shout out Mr. Hebron and everybody else for just putting this together for me. Secondly, I want to thank my mom. None of this would be possible without you. I tell you that all the time. I appreciate you.
“All of my old teachers, my trainers, yoga teachers, and everybody. And to the little kids that have dreams to do whatever y'all want in life. You know, anything is possible. You know, as long as you put your mind to it. You know, believe in God and just never give up on yourself.”
In a room full of familiar faces for Edwards, three couldn't help but stand out.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Adem Bona all proudly sat in support of their teammate as he unveiled the official sign displaying the gym's new name. Edwards has been teammates with Maxey and Bona for his entire NBA career and has developed a close relationship with Edgecombe, who was drafted by the team in 2025.
That support reflects the emphasis the Sixers have placed on building relationships beyond basketball as they prepare for the upcoming season.
“It means a lot,” Edwards said of his teammates' support. “Especially with what our goals are this season. We preach on being together and doing more stuff together, so the fact that they came out, I was actually at [Jaylen Brown's] event a little earlier today — so just showing that we're all in it together, that's the biggest thing.”
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