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Top 2026 NBA Draft prospect AJ Dybantsa is a name most everyone knows by the first round of the draft. But the BYU product heard a different name when he became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver read "Anicet Dybanta Jr." when he announced the Washington Wizards' top pick in the draft. Dybantsa's given name is Anicet, and he told the NBA he wanted his name called that way to honor his father and the full name his father gave him.
"Everything I do is for him," Dybantsa told ESPN after the Wizards drafted him. "This name he gave me is really his name because he's a senior, so I also wanted to honor him this day too."
The BYU forward is coming off a freshman season that saw him earn consensus All-American honors after leading all Division I men's basketball players with his average of 25.5 points per game. He was also named to the All-Big 12 team and was the Big 12 rookie of the year.
On the night of June 23, the Wizards made Dybantsa the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He'll join Washington's 2024 second-overall pick, Alex Sarr, and February trade acquisition, Anthony Davis, in the Wizards' front court.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AJ Dybantsa is going by 'Anicet' on NBA draft night. Here's why
