Roughly two weeks after the Washington Wizards made AJ Dybantsa the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-9 forward made his Las Vegas Summer League debut on Thursday.
Eager to show that he can live up to the hype and lofty expectations, the former BYU star brought the crowd to its feet with a rim-rattling poster dunk in the first quarter.
The highlight play went viral, sparking strong reactions from the NBA world.
AJ Dybantsa Goes Viral After Monster Poster Dunk in Wizards Summer League Debut
Dybantsa’s first game in a Wizards jersey came against the Utah Jazz, featuring this year’s No. 2 pick, Darryn Peterson. With anticipation building for the duel, Washington’s rookie dazzled in front of a packed Thomas & Mack Center.
Late in the first quarter, Dybantsa drove past Cody Williams but ended up facing a swarm of defenders. Unbothered, he forcefully went up over Justin Harmon for the highlight play of the night. The slam had his Wizards teammates Trae Young and Deandre Ayton on their feet, cheering wildly for him.
The play also prompted strong reactions from the NBA community on X.
”AJ DYBANTSA CAUGHT A BODY,” Fullcourtpass posted.
AJ DYBANTSA CAUGHT A BODY pic.twitter.com/zwj2wUwl73
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 10, 2026
“Oh yeah, AJ Dybantsa came to play tonight, good lord,” NBA content creator Six Rings of Steel wrote.
Oh yea AJ Dybantsa came to play tonight good lord pic.twitter.com/AT4CEoGTRI
— Matt (@sixringsofsteeI) July 10, 2026
“AJ Dybantsa plays with a crazy amount of force for a 19-year-old,” The Athletic’s Will Guillory observed.
AJ Dybantsa plays with a crazy amount of force for a 19 year old
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) July 10, 2026
“Yeah, that was some legit AJ Dybantsa stuff right there,” The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak raved.
Yeah, that was some legit A.J. Dybantsa stuff right there.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) July 10, 2026
LeBron James’ friend, Cuffs The Legend, wrote, “I’ve seen enough. Shut down AJ Dybantsa for the rest of Summer League and let him go shoot some Nike commercials.”
i’ve seen enough.
Shut down AJ Dybantsa for the rest of Summer League and let him go shoot some Nike commercials ⭐️
— 73-9 and THEY LIED (@CuffsTheLegend) July 10, 2026
“AJ Dybantsa just has the superstar tools. You couldn’t not take him first. Length, athleticism, motor, and has the skill all at once. DP more pure scorer for sure. AJ is the total package,” Ball Don’t Stop posted.
AJ Dybantsa just has the superstar tools. You couldn’t not take him first. Length, athleticism, motor and has the skill all at once. DP more pure scorer for sure. AJ is the total package.
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) July 10, 2026
The first quarter was a series of highlights from the 19-year-old forward. His athleticism and force were as good as advertised, but he also showcased finesse and touch on some plays.
Dybantsa opened the Wizards’ scoring with a nifty up-and-under layup despite contact. He also made a silky fallaway jumper midway during the period. A 25.5 points-per-game scorer at BYU, he ended the first quarter with 11 of Washington’s 27 points.
The night ended with Dybantsa filling up the stat sheet with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, outperforming Peterson, who logged 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, but committed 8 turnovers.
The No. 1 and No. 2 picks battled in Las Vegas tonight…
🧙♂️ AJ DYBANTSA: 27 PTS (game-high)
🎶 DARRYN PETERSON: 24 PTS (team-high)The Wizards defeated the Jazz in a nail-biter! pic.twitter.com/5gIT2IjR5A
— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2026
After his dazzling display, the hype and excitement around Dybantsa only continued to grow.
