AJ Dybantsa has had plenty of in-depth features and profiles written about him.
But now, he’s taken the opportunity to share his story himself.
BYU’s freshman phenom penned an essay for the Players’ Tribune — a platform that allows athletes “to connect directly with their fans, in their own words” — in which he discussed his upbringing, his basketball development, his commitment to BYU and his desire to win a championship with the Cougars.
Here are some of the highlights of AJ Dybantsa’s Players’ Tribune essay.
On wanting to serve underprivileged individuals
“Basically, I just hated seeing poverty. It kind of broke my heart, you know? I was just a little kid. In my head it was like, Wait, but I go to school and get picked up in a car. I have an umbrella when it’s raining.
“I remember at the end of my first trip to Congo, my dad took me to visit his old middle school. He packed all these pens and pencils to take with us. Tons of them. And I’ll never forget he was like, ‘We’re going to give these away because they don’t have, and you have to help people who don’t have.
“‘Someday it’s going to be your turn.’”
On how the COVID-19 pandemic factored into his basketball journey
“I remember we were in English class, and the teacher mentioned the COVID-19 outbreak. This was in seventh grade at Trinity Catholic. We were like, ‘Alright, cool. What does that mean for us?’ Two weeks later it was masks. A month later it was hybrid. And then it went full online.
“There was nothing to do, so I started hooping every day, doing three workouts a day. There were no indoor courts available, so you were just outside playing with the guys with a mask on.
“Eighth grade was an online hybrid year. Same thing. I was bored. I’m so serious. I was just bored. I was like, ‘Yo, I’m just trying to hoop.’ So that’s all I did. And I just started falling in love with it.
“COVID made me snap ... I went from being a kid who had a pretty normal childhood, not obsessing over the game or caring too much about losses, to thinking about it all the time, can’t wait to get to the court, willing to make sacrifices to keep this thing in my life. I just fell in love with getting better.”
On interacting with celebrities and dealing with fame himself
“The more kind of ‘known’ I get, the more people look at me all the time. And I’m just like, Bro, I’m like you.
“... Now, I meet a lot of celebrities and famous people, and it kind of doesn’t faze me because I’m used to being the one being looked at. Like, one time I met Jay-Z … Well, I didn’t meet him. He was standing right next to me, though. I mean standing next to Jay-Z is (crazy).
“I wasn’t starstruck, but it crossed my mind like, It’s crazy the fact I’m in a room with Jay-Z. He looked at me, and I didn’t say what’s up or nothing. I don’t really speak first. I don’t be starstruck. I think that’s my superpower.
“I feel like the only person I would be (starstruck to meet) would have to be like Michael Jackson or something like that.
“But even MJ, back in the flesh, I’d just dap him up like, ‘Yo, you good?’
“King of Pop couldn’t even faze me. I’m dead serious!!!!
“I remember I worked out with LeBron James. I was like, ‘Bro, you straight? Let’s work out.’ (Kevin Durant), same thing. KD was like my idol growing up. Now, he’s my guy.
“... I walk around Provo, and people ask for pictures, and I’m always like ‘Yeah, you can get a picture.’ I’m not this huge thing. Yeah, I’m getting more known.’ But I’m not Jay-Z.”
On his first gold medal win with the Team USA U16 squad back in 2023
“Winning gold — there’s nothing like that.
“You’re in another country. They playing your national anthem on their floor.
“... That first year, I remember we played Canada in the championship. Throughout the tournament, they were beating everybody by like 30. So our coaches were prepping us the whole time like, ‘Canada’s really good.’
“Whole trip was like a movie. We were riding bikes in the city, eating tacos. It was our first time playing for Team USA, so somebody would always be like, ‘Bro, we gotta win. We gotta win gold.’
“And we ended up blowing everybody out by 30 or more. We beat Canada in the Finals by 82, dog. It was like the record at the time. We were like, ‘Yo, this is crazy.’ I always bring my previous medals from each year, so when we won in July this summer, I had three medals around my neck when they called our names.
“That was the proudest I ever felt. That was lit. That was the only time I’ve ever been ‘starstruck,’ if you wanna put it that way. And those tournaments were the most fun I’ve ever had. Running the streets in Turkey. Going to gas stations in Switzerland. Chillin’ in the dorms. Those memories are everything.
“That’s why I came here to BYU.”
On choosing to play college basketball at BYU
“(BYU) felt like a place I could make more of those kinds of memories — the ones that last forever. To me, that’s what it’s all about.
“I remember I’d narrowed my list of schools down to seven. I had been posting all my visit dates online, and I guess BYU fans saw that and knew I was coming in October. So they made a whole bunch of posters and stuff.
“When I got here, people at the football game were chanting my name. The basketball team was chanting my name. They had signs of me all over. And I don’t know, that really sold me. For a kid from Brockton (Massachusetts), seeing people show that much love meant a lot. With BYU, I knew I would be going somewhere I was really wanted, where I could belong.”
On his goals at BYU
“I’m so glad I chose BYU. It’s very laid-back over here. I mean, it’s a vibe. And I truly think we can win it all. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t.
“I came into this season thinking, We’re going to put in max pain. If we don’t win a national championship it’s a disappointment — that’s how I feel. Just think about last season. Florida won. Nobody will remember that Houston made it to second place. So it’s championship or bust."
