AJ Dybantsa addresses his viral reaction to Wizards landing No. 1 pick
May 14, 2026, 3:17 PM | Updated: May 15, 2026, 9:24 am
Wherever AJ Dybantsa goes, there’s a spotlight and cameras that follow him.
Those cameras were amplified this past Sunday during the NBA draft lottery when it was announced the Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. A spot that could become Dybantsa’s future home.
AJ Dybantsa’s reaction at the NBA draft lottery had social media buzzing
The ESPN cameras at that event panned to Dybantsa shortly after the Wizards won the lottery, and the former BYU star was unemotional to the result. That led many on social media to wonder whether he didn’t want to play for the Wizards or was upset that the Utah Jazz didn’t get the top pick.
AJ Dybantsa reacting to the Wizards getting the 1st pick: pic.twitter.com/JGKdPTtn6N
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 10, 2026
AJ Dybantsa: “Trained not to react”
Fast forward to Thursday at the NBA draft combine in Chicago, Dybantsa hopped on with John Fanta, Krysten Peek, and Adam Finkelstein on NBA TV for an interview. He was asked about his body language from Sunday’s lottery and about his reaction to the Wizards getting the top pick in the upcoming draft.
“I mean, I’m used to it. I’ve been all over social media since about 13. But you know, you’re trained not to react,” Dybantsa said on Thursday to NBA TV.
“A lot of the top players, like Cooper Flagg last year, and we can go down the line, just have no reaction at all. You don’t want to seem too happy. You don’t want to seem too down. So I just kept a straight face, kept the poker face. But you know, people are going to make their own assumptions.”
“I always had a target on my back so I always had to prove myself…prove that I belong” 😤@AJ_Dybantsa breaks down his rise, his AWS NBA Combine experience, and the connections fueling his future with @John_Fanta, @AdamFinkelstein & @KrystenPeek. The future is bright — watch… pic.twitter.com/H1esssok7x
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 14, 2026
Dybantsa is the projected favorite to be the No. 1 selection in the 2026 NBA draft. Other potential No. 1 pick candidates include Darryn Peterson of Kansas, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson from North Carolina.
The 6-foot-8-1/2-inch Dybantsa, who had a 42-inch max vertical jump at the combine this week, has all the measurables and production in his career to this point to have the look of a No. 1 overall pick.
In his one season at BYU, Dybantsa led the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game and was a Consensus All-American. He also earned the Julius Erving Award as the top small forward in college basketball.
The 2026 NBA draft takes place June 23-24 in Brooklyn, New York.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
