Gatorade State Participant of the Yr in Massachusetts as a freshman. Gold medalist with the USA U16 group in Mexico. Chief in factors per recreation (25.8) through the EYBL Peach Jam, whereas taking part in up. Nike NIL deal. No. 1 participant within the Class of 2025. AJ Dybantsa.
“Playmaker first, two-way participant,” Dybantsa says of his private scouting report. “Protection and offense, can do some little bit of the whole lot: rebound, rating, go, end. Only a group participant total, and unselfish.”
We’ve been following AJ since he was a lanky eighth-grader hailing from Brockton, MA, documenting his meteoric rise over the previous few years. And regardless of reclassifying in October, Dybantsa clearly stays the most effective prospects within the nation. Please, infer for your self. With an unrelenting motor and shot-making skill matched by an equally eccentric character, it was a no brainer that the most effective participant in his class is taking the pen to assist formally relaunch our historic Basketball Diary.
However extra on that later. That is now. And now could be Dybantsa’s time. He staked that declare not too way back.
“Once I was in third grade, I had the dream of going to the NBA, but it surely wasn’t actually life like till Covid 12 months. That’s after I began taking it loopy critical,” Dybantsa says. “There have been no gyms obtainable and I discovered myself simply understanding exterior on daily basis. I simply took off. That’s when the rankings began coming, that’s when the eye began coming and I used to be like, This might be a actuality.”
After dominating the native New England competitors as a freshman—posting 19.1 factors, 9.6 rebounds and a couple of.5 blocks a contest—actuality set in additional this previous June when Dybantsa elected to switch to nationwide powerhouse Prolific Prep. The elevated competitors plus shifting in with a number household—on prime of residing on the other coast as your fast household—can be a troublesome transition for any teenager.
“Probably the most difficult half [about being AJ] is simply individuals forgetting that I’m a child,” Dybantsa tells SLAM. “Like, I’m 17 years previous, I’ve a life exterior of basketball. However they simply see the web aspect of me so they simply assume the whole lot’s flowers and butterflies, when it’s actually not.”
Whereas Dybantsa finds his footing, he leans on the life classes and work ethic instilled in him by his Congolese father and Jamaican mom. “Nothing’s given to you, the whole lot is earned,” he says of his dad and mom’ reminders. “It was large for me in my life growth.”
Faculties are swarming, the League’s already inside view and he simply signed on the dotted line with The Swoosh. SLAM has been masking highschool hoopers for a minute (30 years, tbh!) and we will say with confidence, the following modern-day highschool famous person is right here, and his identify is AJ Dybantsa.
Portraits by Marcus Stevens.
