He can play in FIBA because FIBA eligibility is not based on being 19. Age limits depend on the specific event, and senior national-team competitions can include younger players if the federation selects them and they meet the tournament rules.

What happened with Edgecombe

Edgecombe played for the Bahamas in FIBA senior competition at 18 , and FIBA described his debut as a strong performance, noting he scored 20 points and showed he was ready for that level. A later draft profile also noted he had already represented the Bahamian national team in Olympic qualifying and performed well there.

Why the age confusion

The “19” idea usually comes from a mix-up with NBA prospects, youth events, or assumptions that international play has the same age cutoff everywhere. It doesn’t: FIBA has different categories for youth tournaments, but senior national-team events are open to players who are selected and eligible under the rules.

Simple version

  • If it’s a youth FIBA event: age limits matter.
  • If it’s a senior FIBA event: a player can be younger than 19.
  • Edgecombe was allowed because he was playing for the Bahamas in a senior national-team setting, not a restricted youth-only event.

On the fan question

So the short answer is: he’s not “too young” for FIBA senior play. The Bahamas just chose him because he was good enough, and FIBA’s structure allowed it.

TL;DR: VJ Edgecombe could play in FIBA because senior FIBA competitions don’t require players to be 19; age restrictions only apply in certain youth events.