On the Eve of His Pro Career, AJ Dybantsa Is Already Undefeated

Sitting inside his childhood home in Brockton, Mass., AJ told this story the night before announcing the biggest decision of his life. On April 23, the 6-foot-9 wing player officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, following a one-and-done, All-American freshman season at Brigham Young University (BYU). To make the announcement, AJ returned to his former school, Davis Elementary, where his name is immortalized on a page he scribbled into his first-grade yearbook: My name is Anicet…When I grow up, I’d like to be a basketball player. It’s not uncommon for kids to confess pro athlete aspirations, but few actually deliver on a declaration quite like the young Anicet, who applied his indomitable vision toward reaching the pro game.

The news arrives at the same time as Nike and AJ are taking the next step in their partnership. By coincidence or fate, AJ joined Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in 2024. This was after he stamped his game at the national level. In the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), he played for the Oakland Soldiers and Elite Expressions (MA), where he led the 2023 Peach Jam circuit in scoring. He’d continue that trend at BYU. Last season, AJ led the entire nation in scoring at 25.5 points a game, the third most ever by a freshman in Division I history.

On the eve of his draft announcement, AJ reflected upon his path to the NBA with longtime sneaker writer Aaron Dodson.

The Record: Paint a picture of the journey you’ve been on. How long have you been working toward declaring for the NBA Draft?

AJ Dybantsa: I first knew I wanted to go to the NBA in sixth grade, when I was about 12 years old. But I probably didn’t think that was realistic until my eighth-grade year during the COVID-19 pandemic year, when I was working out while everybody else was inside. When I came back to school, I had grown 5 inches in the summer and felt like I was better than everyone else on the court. Ever since I played varsity as an eighth grader, I’ve been looking forward to entering my name in the NBA Draft, then, ultimately, hearing my name on draft night.

TR: As it goes, your father really pushed you to play basketball as a kid. He got your attention around the age of 5 with a Spider-Man-themed hoop for your bedroom door. In a way, it became your own origin story. 

AJ: My first memory of basketball would be the Spider-Man hoop story. I remember my dad came into our house, like, ‘AJ, I got a present for you.’ It was before Christmas, so I was surprised I was getting a present. He hung the hoop up on my door. From there, I was just shooting from my bed all the time.

TR: Do you still have it?

AJ: [Laughs] Sadly, the Spider-Man hoop is long gone. But the story is true: Spider-Man made me start playing basketball.

TR: You had your way against opponents at the high school level. Take us back to your experience playing EYBL. How did it help shape you as a player?

AJ: EYBL shaped me a lot. I was playing top players who were a class or two above me, and I was making a name for myself as one of the younger guys on the circuit. That 2023 Peach Jam was the season I led the league in scoring as a freshman. So I was 15, 16 years old, scoring 27 a game. That was when I figured out my flow — what I was going to be as a player, where my spots were gonna be. It was fun killing in those games.

TR: You also had plenty of stops where pros would roll in to watch you play.

AJ: Yeah, that summer also would’ve been one of my first times being around LeBron James. We connected, and I went out to California to work out with ’Bron, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Chris Paul, a whole bunch of NBA guys.

TR: What was your first workout with an NBA player?

AJ: My first-ever NBA workout was with KD. When I got to the gym, he was in the back stretching. I was far away, so I didn’t know who it was at first. Then he came up to me, said, ‘What’s good?’ and I dapped him up. I don’t really get starstruck, but in my mind, I’m like, I couldn’t believe it. That’s KD. He asked if I wanted to get some shots up. I was like, ‘Ummm, yeah…duh.’ [Laughs]. 

TR: Anything you remember from that workout?

AJ: I just remember trying to force myself to make every shot because I didn’t want to look crazy. I’m in high school next to KD, who is shooting NBA 3s off one leg. Those guys hit 90 percent of their shots in practices. They don’t miss. 

TR: How would you describe the way you play the game, particularly to someone who’s never seen you on the court before?

AJ: To the fan’s eye, I think I’m considered very flashy and exciting to watch. I dunk a lot, do a lot of long crossovers and shoot 3s. But I’m about playing simply and effectively, just trying to win the game. I’m what fans want to see because I’m an exciting competitor who plays with a lot of passion.

TR: How exactly did Nike approach you about signing an NIL deal when you still were in high school?

AJ: This was back when NIL had kind of just started, so I hadn’t ever considered the possibility of joining the brand that early. All I could think was, My favorite players are signed with Nike: KD, LeBron. It’s one of the best sports marketing brands — ever. So, I immediately said, ‘We gotta go with Nike.’

TR: Since you’ve been with Nike, you’ve had the opportunity to be the face of a few different silo unveils. One of those was headlining the Nike G.T. Future last year. 

AJ: When Nike first brought me the G.T. Future, I said, ‘I can be the face of this shoe.’ Everybody thinks I’m the future — and I think I’m the future. So it makes sense that I debuted the G.T. Future.

TR: This gets at something I wanted to ask you. You’ve made basketball your life’s business since you were a kid. From the time you were little, you had this drive to create a future for yourself at the pro level. How do you feel that you represent the future of basketball?

AJ: I just think the new generation of talent is stepping in and taking the lead. In my game, I think I fit in the mix as a hybrid shooting guard/forward that can do a little bit of everything. But I’ve always had this mindset to be the best. When I was in sixth grade, I told my dad that I wanted to get into the league. He told me, ‘I’ll do whatever I can to help you get there. You’re going to be put in certain situations so you face the best competition. It’s going to be tough.’ I told him, ‘Let’s do it.’ I was ready. 

TR: You’ve brought that confidence into your shoe rotation. At BYU, you wore a different Nike Basketball shoe every time you stepped out on the floor. 

AJ: When I was growing up, I basically wore the same shoes every game. So in high school when I signed with Nike, you get new shoes all the time. So I said to myself, ‘I’m going to wear a different shoe every game.’ I have so many shoes, so if I like a shoe, I’m gonna wear and play in it. I try not to live by superstitions. People are like, ‘If I play good in this shoe, I’m going to keep wearing it.’ Nah, I’m not tryna do all that. I think I only repeated a shoe one time.

TR: What’s the dopest pair you think you laced up?

AJ: The Spider-Man Nike G.T. Cut 1s I got were so crazy. I played in them against Kansas after the brand sent them to me. It had one of my own logos on it and everything. The G.T. Cut 1 is probably one of my — if not my — favorite basketball shoe. Deep down the line, if I get signature shoes, I want a Spider-Man colorway for every number. Just because that’s my origin, and they’ll probably be fire to some little kids.

TR: So you dream of getting your own shoe?

AJ: A signature shoe is the goal. When I signed with Nike, I started thinking it would be cool to get my own shoe. Because Nike would always send me different Kobes or Jas or KDs. So it was like, ‘I’m wearing all these other players’ shoes — what if I could get my own and other players wore mine?’

TR: There’s the realization that you could make the pros someday, and then there’s the reality that you might go No. 1. When was the first time you saw yourself projected as the No. 1 pick?

AJ: That was in eighth grade. The national player rankings came out, and the headlines read, ‘AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg...all potential No. 1 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.’ Since that day, I’ve put in the work to be the No. 1 pick.

TR: How important was it to you to go back to Brockton and make the draft announcement at your elementary school?

AJ: There are plenty of stories about teachers saying to students, ‘Be realistic with your dreams.’ But I remember teachers at my school when I told them that I wanted to go pro someday. And they always told me, ‘You can go do it.’ I wanted this moment to honor that belief.