Who is AJ Dybantsa? The Mass. native is a star recruit training with KD and LeBron

The Dybantsa family's SUV was parked outside Jubilee Christian Church in Stoughton, minutes away from their Brockton home.

AJ Dybantsa and his father, Ace, were waiting patiently for someone inside to unlock the door to the gym hidden unsuspectingly around back. Not for long, life had slowed down for the first time in a while; their flight back from Dybantsa’s third annual trip to the Nike Peach Jam circuit in North Augusta, South Carolina, landed the day before.

The passenger door opened and the very top of Dybantsa’s hair peered over to the other side. The 6-foot-8 Dybantsa couldn’t drive himself. He got his learner’s permit a week ago, sixth months after his 16th birthday. "He didn't have time," Ace said with a grin. "I told him, 'Do it on your birthday.' No time."

This isn’t your everyday teenager with a hectic schedule. Dybantsa, in short time, will be on the move again to take on his sophomore year of high school at Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, California.

ESPN touted the Brockton native as its No. 1 freshman basketball player in the country. Dybantsa earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors at St. Sebastian’s in March, won a gold medal with the Team USA U16 team in Mexico in June, and led the EYBL (Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League) in scoring at 25.8 points per game in his third trip to Peach Jam, which is infested with intrigued college coaches and scouts, in July.

“It’s a lot. He’s handling it well,” Ace said. “I don’t know how he does it. … I mean, this is nuts.”

The success backtracks to this humble, unassuming court in Stoughton. Dybantsa walked in and sat down, slipped his slides off, unzipped his backpack and laced up a red and yellow pair of Adidas Dame 8 kicks. “I haven’t worn Adidas in a while,” he said. Dybantsa had just competed in a series of Nike-sponsored camps, including one hosted by the NBA Players Association in which he was coached by veteran center Andre Drummond of the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.

This wasn’t Dybantsa’s only meeting with skills coach Brandon Ball of Purpose Driven Performance scheduled for the day. He was planning to come back at 8:30 p.m. to put up extra shots.

“It’s unbelievable to see how hard this kid works,” said Ball, who has worked with Dybantsa for five years. Ball moved to Boston over a decade ago after a stint of playing professionally in Canada. “He deserves every accolade, and everything he’s getting. For sure.”

Social media notoriety (his Instagram is approaching 60,000 followers), ESPN rankings, projections of an NBA Draft four years down the line and sky-high expectations – among other things – swirl in front of him. When asked if it all weighs on him, he insists it doesn't. He and Ace have the discussion often.

“There’s no pressure. When I was younger, I wanted the spotlight," Dybantsa said. "Now that I have it, I’m just playing basketball.”

His recruitment exploded

Dybantsa said things started to shift at the start of the pandemic, a little over three years ago. Ace saw the light, too, around that time, "It really hit me that he had a chance."

Dybantsa began an offseason regiment that requires a 5 a.m. wake-up so that he gets to the court by 6. At 9:30, he sees strength coach Anthony Frias and, in the afternoon, goes to Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton to hoist more jumpers. After a few hours to ice, rest and “be a kid,” as Ace said, Dybantsa heads to play pick-up games against college players, and pros, at Providence College.

Dybantsa sees Ball and Frias an average of four to five times per week, depending on his travel and camp schedule.

“His growth has been, to be honest, exceptional. I haven’t seen anybody, or worked with anybody, that has put in the amount of work that he’s put in day in and day out,” said Frias, who has worked with Dybantsa since April 2022. “From April to the summer, it was mind-blowing, to be quite honest.”

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When he first met Frias, Dybantsa was approximately 170-175 pounds, Frias recalled. He has added 15-20 pounds of muscle since and, now, checks in at 195 pounds. The focus in the last year has been on mobility to decrease the severity and frequency of potential injuries, specifically ankle sprains.

“I would always remind him: ‘Even though we’re here at 6:30 in the morning and I’m having you do X, Y, Z, there is no other kid in this nation doing what you’re doing,’” Frias said. “‘I’m trying to prepare you for what the pros are doing. This is setting you up for your entire future.’

“This is only the beginning,” Frias added. “We’re just getting started. There’s so much more that’s going to happen for you. You may not be able to see it right now, but I can see how the work you’re putting in now will completely pay off in the end, wherever that may lead: the NBA, pro, whatever. He’s going to gain every single thing.”

The future is bright, no doubt, but what exactly does that look like?

“Everything is on the table – college, the G-League – we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Ace said. “We have three more years.”

Dybantsa heads to Prolific Prep undeterred by the cross-country challenge. He will line up alongside 6-foot-7 power forward Tyran Stokes, the No. 2 player in ESPN's Top 100, who publicly recruited him. Ace Dybantsa and Prolific Prep coach Ryan Bernardi, a 26-year-old Milton native, had been in contact for a couple years and, after being admittedly reluctant at first mention, Dybantsa's parents sat on the decision and eventually approved the move.

Prolific Prep has notable NBA alumni, such as Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, Toronto Raptors swingman Gary Trent Jr. and free agent forward Josh Jackson, who was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2017 Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Ace gauged that the team plays just six games in California, with the rest of the season spent playing weekend games in Las Vegas and various sites along the East Coast.

“It doesn’t intimidate me, but it’s going to be hard. It's just preparing me for the next level," Dybantsa said of the transfer. "When you’re in college, you’re going to be away from home, so getting an extra step ahead will prepare me for more.”

A rising sophomore, Dybantsa departs Massachusetts' high school hoops landscape as the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year after two varsity seasons. He averaged 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game on 60.8 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from 3-point land this past season. He led St. Sebastian's to a 26-2 record and the NEPSAC Class A title game.

A viral mixtape, yes. Earth-shattering dunks, of course. But within one of the country's most electrifying young athletes resides an intangible that outweighs it all.

“We all know AJ is a superstar. When you think about superstars, you don’t think about unselfish kids. That’s one of AJ’s great attributes," St. Sebastian's coach Dave Hinman said. "Despite all the attention, despite all the hype – which is deserved – if a player is open, he gives him the ball. If he gets double-teamed, or triple-teamed, he’s going to pass it out and find the open man. We saw that in practice.

"He makes the right decisions and that’s unique. I’ve never coached a player at AJ’s level, but I don’t believe kids are that selfless at his level. He is. To me, I don’t think people understand that’s a part of him," Hinman added. "They see the dunks. They see the great plays on the highlight videos. They don’t know he’s a completely unselfish player.”

Hinman has known the Dybantsa family since AJ played AAU with his son, Charlie, for the Boston Bobcats in third grade. Dybantsa was taller than most other players on the court at that time, Hinman reminisced with a laugh, but the talent and skillset were just as apparent: “It was pretty clear back then that he was going to be a really good player," Hinman said. "He stood out amongst his peers.”

Fast-forward a few years, and Hinman lured Dybantsa to pursue the start of his high school career at the private school in Needham. It was last year, prior to his freshman season, that he reclassified to the Class of 2026. Dybantsa earned All-Conference honors in his first season, as an eighth-grader.

“When we played the best teams, we got the best out of AJ," Hinman said. "There are things he did that I couldn’t dream of having a kid do. They were just natural.”

Social media sensation

Life isn't easy for a 16-year-old with 58,000 – and growing – Instagram followers in the midst of a social media heatwave. “At every airport, he gets recognized," Ace said. "Now, he embraces it. Before, he didn't like it."

The turning point came while AJ and Ace were at a Cincinnati airport on the way home from a camp and a group of young fans approached for photos and autographs. "He didn’t look happy taking the picture," Ace said. "We were on the plane, I said, ‘These kids you don’t want to take a picture with, someday they're going to buy your jersey. But if you keep acting like that, guess what, they’ll never buy your jersey.’”

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On Jan. 28, the day before Dybantsa's 16th birthday, the two went to see the Celtics host LeBron James and the Lakers. That message really sunk in.

On the final play of regulation, James barreled his way to the basket in pursuit of the game-winning bucket and contact was made to his arm as he attempted a left-handed layup in the final seconds. The Celtics escaped with a 125-121 overtime victory – heated game, spirted rivalry, controversial ending.

But afterwards, the likes of James, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis were all in good spirits to greet Dybantsa.

“He has totally changed since then. He can take every photo, smile and be genuine about it," Ace said. "When (James) came out, he saw AJ and he smiled. I said to AJ, ‘Could you imagine if he was pissed and didn't want to take a picture with you? Would you have been happy?’

"By the time (LeBron) got out, it was Sunday, (Dybantsa’s) birthday. Most of the Celtics players that went by, they stopped and said hello to AJ: ‘AJ, keep going, stay humble.’ They know him. Then LeBron came out. First thing out of his mouth, ‘Happy Birthday.’ Anthony Davis came by. ‘Happy Birthday. Keep going, AJ. I’m rooting for you.’ It’s crazy.”

Crazy is right.

“It was mind-boggling at first," Dybantsa said. "The pathway I’m going, like, I didn’t see it coming but (I thought) it could come. If I’m on the rise, there are going to be NBA players looking for the next up. They’re probably watching us all along.”

Future Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony, amongst other pros, also has given Dybantsa tips of the trade.

“It’s good because you idolize them," Dybantsa said. "Obviously, it’s not a mentor that’s going to be there for you every time, you’re not going to have their number, but for them to be where they’re at and give me advice and be willing to help me, it’s great. I’ve just got to sink it all in."

PUTTING IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

At a very young age, Dybantsa initially shuddered at the idea of playing sports.

"He hated it," Ace said. Dybantsa, instead, was a Spider-Man fan.

But Ace – a former soccer goalie at Massasoit Community College by way of Congo, his birthplace, and France, where he grew up and attended high school – knew his son would grow to be tall. Maybe all he needed was another shot.

When Dybantsa was in third grade, Ace happened to be shopping at the local K-Mart. He stumbled across a miniature Spider-Man themed basketball rim to hang from his bedroom door.

Slam dunk.

“His eyes lit up,” Ace said. “I followed him into his bedroom and said, ‘See that little ball? You can shoot from your bed.’"

Not long after, Dybantsa started playing AAU basketball. And, as Ace put it, "The rest is history.”

This past June, Dybantsa was one of six double-digit scorers as Team USA clinched the FIBA Men's U16 America Championship gold medal for the seventh straight year with a 118-36 thrashing of Canada on June 11 in Mexico. Most notably, he united with Stokes, and Cameron and Cayden Boozer (the sons of retired NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer).

Dybantsa said it was his favorite on-court memory in the past year: “Winning a gold medal, not a lot of people can do that. Like, 50 players won Gatorade Player of the Year this year. Only 12 people won gold medals," he said. "It was a dream come true.”

Dybantsa put up 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the championship and was a staggering plus-51 for the game. He averaged 13.7 points for the tournament and netted 23 points on 11-for-15 shooting against Mexico in the group phase.

“There’s a reason why ESPN has him ranked as the No. 1 kid in his class," Hinman said. "He’s very skilled and has the physical attributes.”

HIGH PRAISE

“I always hate to project because he’s a 16-year-old kid," added Hinman, "but I think he has the chance to be one of the greatest players to come out of our state.”

“I’ve seen a lot of athletes come and go from Massachusetts," said Frias, who grew up in Dorchester and has been a personal trainer for seven years. "I’ve seen the ‘next big things’ and a lot of these players go on to do great things, but for (Dybantsa’s) age, I haven’t seen anyone be this. Like, he’s special. I normally don’t even like throwing that word around, but honestly, he’s a special talent.”

Frias said he saw a a graphic online settling a comparison between Dybantsa and former Cambridge Rindge and Latin star, and eventual Hall-of-Famer, Patrick Ewing as the top talent to come out of Massachusetts. Ewing graduated high school in 1981.

“That’s almost 40 years of having a basketball player like him in this state," Frias said. "That just shows you how much rare air (Dybantsa) is really in. Definitely a generational player. We probably won’t see another player like him for, who knows, another 10, 15, 20 years.”

“There is no ceiling,” Ball agreed. “Whatever the dream is, he’s able to use that to propel him to continue to be consistent and do things now that kids his age aren’t doing. ... He’s a special kid. Unbelievable work ethic. Unbelievable talent."

Dybantsa is seemingly unfazed by all the chatter.

“The goal is to win," Dybantsa said. "You’re not doing it for everybody else. You’re just trying to win for you and your team. Just focus on the game. I don’t really pay attention to the outside noise – you don’t want to play in a quiet gym, so when the crowd is there, you feed off the energy and adrenaline so you might play better, but some people get nervous. That’s what you thrive for. The goal, obviously the NBA, games are sold out almost every game. You’re not going to be playing in front of quiet crowds, I might as well get used to (the talk) now.”

He's a Brockton kid

Nationally, Dybantsa is often recognized as a Boston native. Though he was born there, as Ace works law enforcement in the city, Dybantsa interjects to represent the City of Champions.

“When people ask where I’m from, they assume Boston because Brockton isn’t really that known," Dybantsa said. "The goal is to put Brockton on the map. Like, I’m not going to false-claim any other city. I’m from Brockton. That’s where I grew up.”

Brockton's next rising star has arrived. He has big dreams, and he's equipped with all the tools to chase each and every one.

Said Ball, “Who could’ve written something like this?”

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton's AJ Dybantsa is a star recruit training with KD and LeBron