AJ Dybantsa No.1 of the 2026 Draft: Why is Washington reborn?
Summary
Brooklyn, Barclays Center, lights focused on a single stage. A crown awaited its heir, and the entire room held its breath before the first call of the night. On June 23, Washington crowned AJ Dybantsa, the first pick of the 2026 Draft.
AJ Dybantsa, new face of the Washington Wizards after his crowning at the Barclays Center.
AJ Dybantsa in brief
- Crowning: 1st pick of the 2026 NBA Draft (Washington Wizards)
- Date: night of June 23 to 24, Barclays Center (Brooklyn)
- Profile: forward, 2.06 m, 19 years old, from BYU
- NCAA season: 25.5 pts, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists
- Roots: French-Congolese heritage, Grigny (Essonne)
First call of the night: Washington crowns its heir
The suspense did not last. When Adam Silver steps up to the microphone, the room already knows. The commissioner announces a name — AJ Dybantsa, first pick of the 2026 Draft. The crown has just changed heads.
The favorite lived up to expectations. Behind him, Darryn Peterson goes to the Jazz and Cameron Boozer joins Memphis, but the throne is his to take. At 19, the forward becomes the new face of Washington. An entire project rests on his shoulders.
On stage, the smile says it all. The East Coast kid had just seen his dream turn into a contract.
"Obviously, you watch this on TV for years and years, and when your name is called, it’s unreal."
— AJ Dybantsa, just after his selection
BYU, 25.5 points: the season that sealed the crowning
One season was enough. Wearing the BYU Cougars jersey, the forward averaged 25.5 points in 35 starts. Add 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists: the stat sheet of a boss, not a rookie.
The game overflowed the college frame. First hand that stings, pro-level game reading, ability to score from everywhere — he shook the Big 12 from the first to the last game. Enough to turn a favorite status into an obvious choice.
The exact moment: Washington’s call that sealed the crowning.
From Grigny to Washington, the lineage of an heir
Behind the crowning, a lineage that speaks French. AJ’s father, Ace Dybantsa, born in Brazzaville, grew up eight years in Grigny, Essonne, before settling in the United States. He manages his son’s career, without a traditional agent.
The heritage has never faded. At 19, the No. 1 has already set foot in France more than a dozen times, spent summers in Trappes, and stopped by Paris a few days before the Draft. At Project X Paris, we know that France well: the one of suburban courts that make kings.
Did you know?
Before the Draft, AJ Dybantsa had already attended an NBA game in Paris and followed PSG, jersey on his back. More than a dozen trips to France, summers in Trappes, roots in Grigny: the French connection is not new.
With Young and Davis, does Washington finally hold its throne?
Washington didn’t draft a simple prospect, but a keystone. The franchise already had Trae Young, who arrived in January and was extended this summer, and Anthony Davis to support its youth. Dybantsa finally completes the picture.
The symbol weighs heavily. He is the first No. 1 pick in Wizards history since John Wall in 2010. A rebuild that was stalling finally has a face. The kingdom can be reborn.
The crowning of an heir
From Grigny to the Barclays Center, AJ Dybantsa has just placed his crown on the capital. The reign is just beginning: his rookie season will tell if the heir turns the scepter into a dynasty.
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