AJ Dybantsa’s dream fulfilled, his selection at No. 1 a victory both for Brockton and all his hard work
NEW YORK — The dream of reaching the NBA was born when AJ Dybantsa was a child. The possibility became real when he was a teenager playing among men on outdoor courts in Brockton. The inspiration was sparked by the death of Kobe Bryant in 2020. The motivation was forged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Dybantsa trained while friends played video games. And the path became clear the next four years, when he trekked from Brockton to California to Utah to fulfill his promise.
The reality came Tuesday night in Brooklyn.
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Dybantsa as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the moment completed a lifelong journey and charted the course for his next chapter as a future-shifting figure for a Washington Wizards franchise that’s made the playoffs just once since 2018.
“Being the No. 1 pick, it meant a lot to me,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously, me being No. 1 throughout my high school career, I definitely wanted to be a staple in the NBA Draft and be in the same conversation as LeBron James, Cooper Flagg, Allen Iverson, guys like that.”
At the same time, it culminated a chapter in Massachusetts basketball that stretches to 2006, when Will Blalock was selected No. 60 by the Pistons; to 2014, when Roxbury’s Shabazz Napier was handpicked by James as the Heat’s selection at No. 24; and to 2021, when a fatal car crash left Terrence Clarke’s promise of being a first-round pick unfulfilled.
Dybantsa is the first Massachusetts-born player to be selected No. 1.
Patrick Ewing was taken No. 1 in 1985 after he turned Cambridge Rindge and Latin into a powerhouse, but he was born in Jamaica. Jimmy Walker was the No. 1 pick in 1967, but he was born in Virginia, moved to Roxbury as a child, and later attended high school in North Carolina.
Even though basketball took him across the country, Dybantsa has been rooted in Brockton since birth.
“I just try to put on for my state,” Dybantsa said. “Brockton bred, 508. I do everything for them. I like helping back in the community and giving the kids hope. There’s a lot of kids that play basketball out there and think that they can’t make it, but once they see me, they can be like, OK. They might have some hope. It doesn’t necessarily have to be basketball, but anything they do. If they want to be a doctor, an engineer, anything. I’ll just try to be that role model.”
The forward’s hometown was ready to celebrate the moment.
After hosting his draft announcement in April, the Davis K-8 School, which Dybantsa attended, started preparing for draft night with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three new basketball courts. The plan for draft night was to hold a watch party by the outdoor courts with food trucks, raffles, and Dybantsa T-shirts, but uncooperative weather forced it inside.
Principal Kevin Rooney, who was born and raised in Brockton, said the weather wouldn’t affect the excitement level among teachers and students who have watched Dybantsa’s journey.
“I think it’s that sense of pride, right?” Rooney said. “You dedicate your career and your life to a school, and you’re influencing young people. Then to see one of them reach the ultimate goal — reaching the NBA — I think that’s really powerful.
“For the kids, it’s inspiring. He’s been somebody they’ve seen multiple times throughout this school year, and in years past he’s been a presence at the Davis. So for them it’s inspiring, it’s exciting, and I think they feel a sense of pride, too. Brockton is a prideful community. Being from Brockton, you have that sense of pride ingrained in you.”
Up until the moment Dybantsa’s name was called, there was still uncertainty about whether he would be the first pick. He was viewed as a virtually lab-engineered NBA prospect, but Kansas guard Darryn Peterson was considered by some evaluators to be the most talented player in the draft.
But every step Dybantsa has taken has been with the intention of playing in the NBA.
Chris Burgess, one of Dybantsa’s assistant coaches this past season at BYU, remembered a staff meeting in which coaches discussed how it could help him reach the NBA.
“We met as a staff before we brought him in and we were like, ‘Hey, what is the direction we’re going with this?’ ” Burgess said. “One of the assistant coaches was like, ‘Well, we’re going to present to him how we can help him be the No. 1 pick.’ And I’m like, ‘That ain’t it.’
“That dude could go to Concordia College and he’s the No. 1 pick. He could go anywhere and be the No. 1 pick at that time. It’s how are we going to help him be the most ready after he gets drafted No. 1. That’s the vision we’ve got to give him because he’s coming in right now thinking not that, ‘I want to be the No. 1 pick.’ He’s coming in here saying, ‘I am going to be the No. 1 pick. How are you going to help me transition?’ That was my message.”
Part of what’s made every transition smooth for Dybantsa has been having his parents close by. He was the only player in the draft who wasn’t represented by an agent. Instead, his father, Ace, has handled all of his affairs.
He honored his father by having Silver address him by his full name — Anicet — when he walked across the stage.
“So many sacrifices that he made,” AJ said. “He quit his job just to retire and move in with me at Utah Prep so I’d be safe. Sending me over to California to get a better basketball experience. All the little stuff that I didn’t notice he was doing at a young age, obviously it’s paying off now.”
In that way, Dybantsa is as NBA-ready — both on and off the court — as any player selected in his position. And Tuesday was his to savor.
But he already knew what he wanted to do Wednesday.
“I know I have a lot of work to do,” he said. “But obviously, this night is just a celebration of all the hard work that I’ve done in the past. So tonight I’m going to celebrate, but I’ve got to get on a plane tomorrow morning and I’ll probably work out tomorrow — if they let me.”
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