When AJ Dybantsa, the nation's leading scorer out of BYU, heard his name annouced first overall in the NBA Draft by Commissioner Adam Silver, the initials "AJ" were shed in favor of his given name, Anicet. Anicet is his father's name, who goes by Ace, and on the biggest evening of Dybantsa Jr's young career, he wanted to make a point to honor the man who paved the way for him to take on a career in professional basketball.
When asked why he opted to go by his full name, AJ's response couldn't have been more perfect.
Lisa Salters asked AJ about his choice to go by Anicet at the draft. "You go by AJ, but you wanted to be annouced tonight as the No. 1 pick by your formal name that you share with your father, Anicet. Why did you want to do that?"
AJ responded confidently: "Everything I do is for him. It's the name he gave me, it's really his name because he's senior, so I also wanted to honor him today too."
Just a few days removed from Father's Day, AJ found the perfect way to honor his father.
AJ Dybantsa wouldn't be where he is today without the support of his father
“He’s done a good job of just being there, making a lot of sacrifices, obviously, since Day 1, just taking me to practices, games, camps, all that,” AJ shared with Deseret News. “I’ve traveled around the world with him. He’s my full-time manager. Most of all, he’s super strict and straightforward. He just tells me the truth. Doesn’t sugarcoat anything.”
The newest member of the Washington Wizards will continue to go by AJ, but he made a statement by honoring his father on draft night. No matter who he becomes or where he goes, he'll always be indebted to the man who sacrificed to support AJ's basketball career. Being the number-one draft is just a morsel of what Anicet Dybantsa Jr will accomplish
Anicet Dybantsa Jr led the nation in scoring as a freshman in Provo. Anicet Dybantsa Jr carried Kevin Young's fractured roster to major victories against top-10 Iowa State and Texas Tech. His legacy in Provo is absolute, and now he turns his attention to a professional career with the Washington Wizards.
To AJ Dybantsa and those who lifted him to where he stands today, tonight is your night. The future is incredibly bright for this budding superstar.
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