With the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards selected Anicet Dybantsa Jr.Using his full name.On one of the biggest days of Dybantsa’s life, AJ, as he’s widely known, chose to go by his full name. The same name as his father, who was in attendance and whom he wanted to honor.“Everything I do is for him,” Dybantsa said in his interview immediately after being drafted. “(The) name he gave me is really his name, because he’s senior. So, I also want to honor him on this day, too.”Dybantsa led the nation in scoring, averaging 25.5 points in his one season at BYU before becoming the first selection by the Wizards.
Dybantsa was the No. 2 player in the 2025 recruiting class behind Darryn Peterson, who committed to Kansas. Over the course of his first-team All-American season, the 6-foot-9 forward played himself back into the first slot, being selected one pick ahead of Peterson, who went to the Utah Jazz.The 19-year-old was the Wizards’ first No. 1 selection since the franchise took Kentucky’s John Wall in 2010.“Just means a lot,” Dybantsa said. “It’s just a stepping stone. Obviously, I have a lot more work to do, but a testament to all my hard work, discipline and sacrifices that I made.”Dybantsa joins a team that just signed four-time All-Star guard Trae Young to a four-year contract worth approximately $212.9 million, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins. The Wizards also have five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis on the roster alongside a stable of youthful talent in Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly.Dybantsa will try to help the Wizards back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season.He’ll likely continue to go by AJ in the nation’s capital. On this day, however, for this moment, he’ll forever have gone by his father’s name.Jun 24, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
