AJ Dybantsa was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, the first day of the 2026 NBA Draft, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The BYU standout realized his childhood dream and will now take his talents to the nation’s capital. Despite the hype surrounding the No. 1 pick, he remains even-keeled, acknowledging that he still has a lot of work to do to help his new team return to greatness after a dismal finish last season.
AJ Dybantsa Happy to Be Picked No. 1 Overall but Aware of the Tough Road Ahead
Minutes after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called him to announce that he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa, along with his sisters, Samarra and Jasmyn, sat down with veteran reporter Lisa Salters for an interview.
Salters asked the BYU standout how it feels to see his childhood dream come true, and the 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-foot wingspan responded by reflecting on the hard work and sacrifices that brought him to the pinnacle of his career so far.
“It just means a lot,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously, I have a lot more work to do, but a testament to all my hard work and all the discipline and sacrifices that I make.”
“It just means a lot. … Obviously I have a lot more work to do, but a testament to all my hard work and all the discipline and sacrifices that I make.”
AJ Dybantsa sits down with @saltersl after being drafted No. 1 to the Wizards 🏀 pic.twitter.com/bfdB9w0c57
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 24, 2026
Dybantsa, who becomes Washington’s third No. 1 NBA Draft pick after John Wall (2010) and Kwame Brown (2001), now joins a Wizards team that went 17-65 last season.
However, the team is expected to contend in the playoff race as soon as next season, with veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis and young players such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson leading the charge. They will also help Dybantsa adjust to the NBA style of play over the coming months.
Dybantsa, who averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 35 games for BYU during the 2025-26 college basketball season, also made the moment he was named the No. 1 draft pick special for his father, Anicet Sr.
Silver announced the 19-year-old by his full name, “Anicet Dybantsa Jr.,” which Dybantsa said was a way to honor his father, who goes by the nickname “Ace.”
“Everything I do is for him. The name he gave me is really his name because he’s the senior,” Dybantsa said. “So I want to honor him. It’s his day too.”
Washington hopes to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and with rookie Dybantsa teaming up with Young, Davis, and a group of young but high-caliber talent, Wizards fans could be in for a magical stint beginning in the 2026-27 season.
