BROOKLYN — It’s a story Ace Dybantsa loves to tell.
When his son, AJ, was in sixth grade, he returned home with a C-minus grade on a test. Such a performance wouldn’t fly with Ace, and he hatched the most effective plan to ensure AJ understood that going forward.
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Basketball-obsessed AJ’s next AAU tournament was in Philadelphia, more than five hours away from the Dybantsa’s home of Brockton, Massachusetts. Ace drove AJ all the way down to Philly, but the younger Dybantsa was forbidden from taking the court. He spent the entirety of the weekend tournament watching from the sidelines, unable to help his team because of his recent setback in the classroom.
Thus, in the city of brotherly love, AJ Dybantsa received a life-changing dose of fatherly-discipline.
“From that point on, there was nothing but honors (on AJ’s report card),” Ace Dybantsa told a scrum of reporters at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn earlier this week. “AJ excelled in basketball, and here we are today.”
Such discipline and strictness, along with unwavering family support — as previously profiled by the Deseret News — have proven paramount in AJ Dybantsa’s ascension into a basketball superstar, having been selected with the top pick in Tuesday’s NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.
“Discipline, discipline and discipline,” Ace Dybantsa said, when asked about how he helped rear AJ to the point of hearing his name called first in the draft.
Ace Dybantsa reflects on his son AJ Dybantsa being the #1 Pick in the NBA Draft pic.twitter.com/3vE8RSybAP
— BYUtv Sports Nation (@BYUSportsNation) June 24, 2026
“… He’s the one back in sixth grade who told me he wanted to play basketball, professional basketball. I told him he was dreaming, but he insisted. I was like, ‘AJ, there’s only 450 players in the league. You have zero chance.’
“He said, ‘I really want to do it, I really want to do it.’ So I used that to motivate him to education. I said, ‘Fine, I’m going to help you try to achieve your goal, but you have to listen to me. Listening to me means good grades at school.”
Ace Dybantsa said he was holding back tears upon AJ being chosen early in Tuesday’s draft as the first No. 1 pick to ever come from BYU.
Commissioner Adam Silver used AJ’s full name — Anicet Dybantsa Sr. — to announce his selection, and since Ace is Anicet Sr., hearing the full name was especially meaningful for the Dybantsas.
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“I don’t know how to explain it,” AJ said after being drafted. “So many sacrifices that (Ace)’s made. He quit his job just to retire to come move in with me at Utah Prep (as a high school senior) so I’d be safe … All the little stuff that I didn’t notice he was doing at a young age is obviously paying off now. He’s my dad. I mean, he acts as my manager, he does a whole bunch of stuff that he doesn’t have to do, but I just give him the utmost thanks.
“I wanted Adam to call me Anicet because I want to also honor my dad. He is Anicet Dybantsa Sr. I mean, it’s my day today, but without (Ace) I wouldn’t be here, so I wanted to add his name.”
Ace said he learned of Washington’s intention to select his son when Silver announced the name “Anicet” from the podium, claiming he was not given any sort of promise from the organization beforehand.
The Dybantsas were thrilled about AJ going No. 1, and they’re also pleased that he’ll be going to the Wizards, according to Ace. “We’re happy to go to the District, looking forward to it.”
While Ace and AJ will be moving out to Washington, AJ’s mother Chelsea and sister Jasmyn will remain out in Utah for the latter to finish high school — a decision largely influenced by the “excellent” experience the Dybantsas have had in the Beehive State and at BYU.
Ace credited BYU head coach Kevin Young for his work with AJ to become the nation’s leading scorer, a First Team All-American and now sit atop a talented draft class.
“Oh, KY did a great job,” Ace told the Deseret News. “I mean, (AJ) chose (BYU), he’s the one that chose. I didn’t make (the decision). He chose to go there because of the pro-style offense that he was going to run, and they did a great job.”
The Cougars may have dealt with a tall amount of adversity during AJ’s lone campaign in Provo, Ace feels that learning to navigate the lows at BYU was just as crucial for his son’s development as reaching his peaks as well.
“He handled (challenges) right, AJ is the ultimate team player,” Ace said. “I mean, he’s the number one player in the country. He could have just done it his way, but he always wants to involve his teammate, always. Hopefully that won’t change with the Wizards.”
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