Northwestern signee Jake West shares birthday message for Philadelphia 76ers' rookie Justin Edwards.

Modified Dec 17, 2024 20:36 GMT

Northwestern signee Jake West took to his Instagram story to celebrate Philadelphia 76ers' rookie Justin Edwards on his birthday. The post wishing Edwards a happy birthday was initially posted on the Sixers' official Instagram page @sixers yesterday. West reposted it on his Instagram story around the same time, captioning it:

"happy birthday brother @jedwards3 🤍🤝"

Northwestern signee Jake West shares birthday message for Philadelphia 76ers' rookie Justin Edwards. (Image via Instagram @jakewestt3)

Edwards, who turned 21 yesterday, joined the Sixers as a five-star recruit and one of the top-ranked players in the 2023 class. As a high school athlete, he helped his team, Imhotep Charter, win the Philadelphia City championship and the Class 5A state championship twice. By the time he left high school basketball, he was rated as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN.

Edwards went on to play college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats, where he played one season before he declared himself eligible for the NBA draft. Although he ended up being undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Philadelphia signed him.

West, on the other hand, is a class of 2025 recruit who recently committed to the Northwestern Wildcats. The 6-foot-1 William Penn Charter four-star point guard currently captains his team and has been a key player this season. Notably, this summer, he featured in the Nike EYBL circuit, where he averaged 14.1 points and 4.0 assists per game.

Beyond basketball, West is also a social media sensation as he has cultivated a significant presence off the court. He currently has over 1.5 million TikTok followers and more than 240,000 on Instagram, where he connects with fans through engaging content that highlights both his athleticism and personal life.

West speaks on his commitment to Northwestern: says it's the highest level of basketball

West's Northwestern commitment came at the expense of eleven other offers, including, among others, Florida, Mississippi State, Buffalo, Northeastern, and Penn State. However, he ended up signing with the Wildcats. While talking to MADEHoops in a YouTube video, West explained why he chose Northwestern.

"I think just the visit itself was awesome, you know. It was like family right when I got there, the players and I bonded really well. The coaching staff was amazing and it's the highest level of basketball," West said. (19:28)

West will be joined by 6-foot-7 Tyler Kropp, 6-foot-8 Tre Singleton, 6-foot-11 Cade Bennerman, and 6-foot-2 Phoenix Gill, who have also committed from the class of 2025.