AJ Dybantsa hasn’t played a single minute of college basketball yet, but he has been all over the headlines. The BYU freshman even has a $4.1 million NIL valuation. If that wasn’t enough, he also has deals with Nike and Red Bull, and he hasn’t even broken a sweat in a BYU jersey yet.
But AJ Dybantsa isn’t just making headlines for the money. This Father’s Day, it was something a lot more personal.
AJ Dybantsa Moved by BYU’s Heartfelt Father’s Day Post
On Sunday, BYU Basketball took to Instagram and posted a tribute to AJ Dybantsa’s father, Ace Dybantsa. The post was a carousel of throwback photos of the duo. And the caption read, “Since day one. Happy Father’s Day! 🤙” And Dybantsa did not let the moment pass by.
Dybantsa took to his story and reposted the BYU post. He paired it with a heart and crossed fingers emoji. And for AJ, that “since day one” really means since day one. Ace Dybantsa, originally from Congo, moved to the U.S. in his early twenties chasing his soccer dreams.
View this post on Instagram
Ace ended up as a goalkeeper at Massasoit Community College and later served as a campus police officer at Boston University. But more than that, he’s been a rock to AJ Dybantsa. In fact, his father is the reason Dybantsa plays on the hardcourts today.
When AJ was just a kid in Massachusetts, basketball wasn’t even on his radar. Then one day, Ace brought home a little Spider-Man-themed hoop. And that was the moment the game clicked. But that’s not all Ace did.
Ace Dybantsa taught him what it means to grind. AJ Dybantsa grew up seeing his father work a shift at McDonald’s even during All-American week. It taught AJ the value of a hard-earned dollar. And now, he is making more in NIL money than experienced athletes.
And with BYU coming off a Sweet Sixteen run and looking at their Big 12 future, AJ Dybantsa is set to become the face of a new era. He’s the first-ever 5-star recruit in school history, and he’s already carrying the program’s hopes.
As endorsements roll in and AJ Dybantsa takes trips to Grad Prix, moments like BYU’s Father’s Day post remind everyone watching that this story is about more than stats or NIL valuations. If that wasn’t enough, Dybantsa has also been invited to the Team USA U19 training camp in Colorado Springs.
AJ Dybantsa will be competing to represent the United States at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. If he is selected, the headlines are only going to get more frequent. After all, AJ Dybantsa’s story has only just begun.
