AJ Dybantsa Made His Sister Cry, Then Asked to Be Called by His Father’s Name

AJ Dybantsa walked onto the stage at Barclays Center on Tuesday night and did something most number one picks don’t: he asked the commissioner to announce his full formal name. Anicet Dybantsa Jr. That’s what it said on the draft card. The move was for his dad, Anicet Sr., who watched from the crowd.

The Washington Wizards took the 19-year-old forward with the top pick, making him the first BYU player to go number one overall and the first Wizards top selection since John Wall in 2010.

The family moment that broke the internet

Dybantsa’s older sister Samarra was caught on camera losing it when his name got called. Tears. Hugs. The whole thing. She later told ESPN it still didn’t feel real.

“When we were younger, you just saw him in the backyard, playing basketball, and now he’s the No. 1 pick in the NBA. He’s come so far,” Samarra said.

Dybantsa himself was composed but honest about what the moment meant. “Everything I do is for him,” he said of his father. “Obviously I have a lot more work to do, but it’s a testament to all my hard work and all the discipline and sacrifices that I make.”

He also mentioned that his first big purchase might be a car for his younger sister Jasmyn.

What the Wizards are getting

Dybantsa led the country in scoring this past season at BYU, putting up 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals a game. He’s a one-and-done who can create his own shot at 6-foot-9 and has the kind of defensive upside that makes scouts talk about floor spacing and switchability. He’s also expected to sign the full rookie max contract.

Washington is building something weird and potentially dangerous. They’ve got Trae Young running the show, Anthony Davis in the paint, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly on the wings, plus Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington off the bench. That’s a lot of youth and a lot of scoring. Adding Dybantsa gives them another guy who can get a bucket when the offense stalls.

The Wizards haven’t won a playoff series since 2017. But this core looks nothing like those John Wall-era teams. It’s younger. More positionless. And now it has a number one pick who wanted to be there so badly he made sure his father’s name got called first.