Potential No. 1 NBA pick AJ Dybantsa explains why he declared for draft at Brockton elementary school

NBA

“I just want to be considered one of those champions that came from this city — like Rocky Marciano, Marvin Hagler, so many other greats.”

AJ Dybantsa declared for the 2026 NBA Draft on Thursday. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe

It wasn’t much of a surprise that BYU freshman and potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa declared for the 2026 NBA Draft last week.

But, the Brockton native placed special emphasis on his venue of choice for the big news.

Rather than announce it at his home, in a TV studio, at BYU’s facilities or elsewhere, Dybantsa announced his intention to turn pro on Thursday while at Davis Elementary School in Brockton, which he attended.

Speaking to Swish Cultures’ Jordan Richard, Dybantsa shared that choosing Davis Elementary was a full-circle moment — as he first wrote down that his dream was to become an NBA player while in school.

“It feels good,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously, went back to do it at my elementary school. I think people saw the book that I wrote in first grade, that I wanted to be in the NBA. So I think it felt only right to go do it back at the elementary school where I wrote that.”

Aj Dybantsa shares why he passed on several networks to declare for the NBA Draft at his elementary school in Boston where he first wrote that he wanted to be a basketball player 🥺🔥 pic.twitter.com/eeTSIL6cGR

— Jordan Richard (@JordanRichardSC) April 27, 2026

As part of his announcement — delivered to more than 300 in attendance at the school — Dybantsa also stressed the importance of education and wanting to give back to the community that first set him on the path toward basketball stardom.

“I know that I’m special. Obviously, a lot of kids want to follow in my footsteps,” Dybantsa told The Boston Globe’s Julian Benbow. “But if you want to be super realistic, not everybody’s making it to the NBA, not everybody’s going to make it to the NFL or NHL — you can go on and on. But everybody can have an education. Education is free through public school and beyond. Everybody has an opportunity to earn a scholarship.

“An education can take you so much farther than where the NBA is going to take you. Even when I’m done playing in the NBA, education will still be there, and I can still use it.”

Dybantsa — who led the NCAA in scoring by averaging 25.5 points per game with the Cougars en route to an NCAA tournament appearance this past season — said that he wants to put himself on the map as one of the greatest athletes to come out of Brockton.

“I was born and raised here,” Dybantsa said. “It’s the ‘City of Champions’. I just want to be considered one of those champions that came from this city — like Rocky Marciano, Marvin Hagler, so many other greats. So I’m super appreciative of the support, and I love the support.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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