AJ Dybantsa was the No 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday night.
The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa over Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer, who followed at No 2 and No 3 respectively for Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies.
Dybantsa is a forward who led the nation in scoring in his one season at Brigham Young University. He averaged 25.5 points, highlighted by a 43-point effort that broke BYU’s freshman scoring record, and was the first of a record-tying eight straight college freshman taken to begin the draft.
At 6ft 9in and 217lbs Dybantsa, who grew up in the Washington area, has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, who happens to be his favourite player.
“I was just super confident. I’ve been betting on myself for a while now,” Dybantsa said. “Since about ninth grade I’ve been No 1, so I didn’t really plan on dropping in the draft.”
Dybantsa grew up in the Washington area (Photo: Gary Land/Red Bull Content Pool via AP)
Dybantsa’s full name is Anicet Francois Dybantsa Jr. He wore flag pins Tuesday for Jamaica and the Republic of Congo, where his mother and father are from. Dybantsa was announced at the draft as Anicet in honour of his father.
“Making the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a young kid so I can’t wait to get to work and start the journey,” Dybantsa told NBA.com.
“He is a special person,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said. “I can’t wait for the city to really embrace him. He’s already started his own foundation giving back to people back in Massachusetts, Jamaica, Africa. He really is about where he wants to be.
“He’s just a competitor,” Dawkins added. “He sees a challenge and he attacks it. I’ve seen that from a very young age to where he is now. He has a humility about him that he knows how good he is, but he wants to keep working so he can reach the highest level.”
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