AJ Dybantsa Is the Next NBA Phenom

0:28Were you a Celtic fan growing up? Yeah, I was one, but he took me to some games. What's up, everybody? And welcome to Boardroom Talks. Straight from Boston. Waited at the airport for seven hours. I already got his pops off camera mad at me. Please welcome to the show, AJ D-Bansa. You like being in New York City? Love New York City. Where are you from? Right here in New York City. You're born and raised. Born and raised, bro. So if you move to Massachusetts at five, where are you from? Well, that's a great question. No, yes and no, though, because when people A lot of times people say that quick.

1:02They'll be like, yeah, I'm from Philly, but like my dad grew up in Brooklyn. I lived in New York till I was five. And I'm like, nah. Nah, you're from New York. All right, well. If you can talk and you was there, you're from there. All right. Talk and walk. Talk and walk. All right. It seems to me that you're this like new rare breed of athlete, right? Where obviously the work comes first. Obviously the work ethic that you've had to have to get you to where you are today has been paramount. But you have this understanding and this eye on what comes with being a professional athlete today, especially somebody as like Harold that is you.

1:37What's your mindset when you know that basketball has got to come first and all these things will come with your success on court for you to juggle some of these other things that you've had to at such a young age? I mean, basketball is my passion. So regardless of what happens, basketball is going to be first. And I know everything is going to take care of itself if basketball works out. So I put all my energy into basketball. Well, obviously I gotta do the other stuff on the side, but basketball and school come first, for sure. When you say you have to do the other stuff on the side, what does that mean to you?

2:05I mean, I don't have to. I just, I do it because I have a strong fan base that I like to interact with. So like I was in New York City, just asking people around like local questions, hot takes, stuff like that. So fans get to interact with me because they can interact with me through like Instagram or Snapchat, but it's better in person. So growing up in Brockton, Massachusetts, When did you realize you were really good at basketball? I say quarantine is when I realized I had a chance. Because I don't like really play video games like that. I don't really watch TV. Quarantine hit and I was just outside.

2:37We drove to Rhode Island every day. Worked out and then when, you know, tournament started kicking back up, I outgrew everybody. I had more skill than everybody. And that's when I realized I had like a chance. So you had a major growth spurt? Yeah, five inches in the summer. What year was that? 2020. So prior to that, was basketball the love of your life or you were playing basketball? Nah, I was just playing for fun. I played football. I was playing for fun. Were you nice at football? I was nice. What position? Wide out in the corner. And you just realized you were nice at ball and you were like, I got the ball.

3:06I mean, I was always like decent at basketball. Like, it was just for fun. I didn't really care for it. Were you a Celtics fan growing up? Always. Still am. Still are. Was it heartbreaking to watch them lose to the Knicks? Yeah, but they only lost because, you know, Tatum got injured. I know if he was still playing that it wouldn't have been a L. You know you guys were down like 14 with three minutes left. We were down by seven. It's cool though. Was it seven? Yeah. So you think you guys would have won that game or you would have went back, won Boston, won in New York, then won seven in Boston?

3:34It didn't matter. We were going to win the series. They can have their fun for now. It's New York. They still lost in a conference trip. So this championship two years ago was the first one you were old enough to really experience. Right? I mean, I was at games when Paul Pearson and KG was. You were? Yeah. I was one, but he took me to some games. And are you Patriots, Red Sox? Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins. The whole thing. Mm-hmm. So you're playing ball and you realize you're good. And when you say you realize you're good, is it that, like, you feel it or the way people are reacting to you? I saw KD on Mind the Game talking to Bron and he talked about how when the way people reacted to him in the park almost gave him this confidence to let him know he was that nice.

4:21It's a little bit of both. Like the reactions from other people and then like levels started getting easier to you. So you kind of like outgrew your little, like we were just like 13 at the time. So you started growing like your local 13 year old and that's when you have to go to AAU and play national schedule to get tougher comp. And then you started to realize like, wow, I'm really good at this. Yeah. And does that kick a different gear of work that you now want to put in because you realize you're that good at it? Yeah, I realized that I had a chance to go to, like, my dad's dream was to just go to college for free, my mom and my dad.

4:53And after we got the first offer, he was straight. Like, he was like, you're going to college for free. I had bigger goals. I'm trying to tell you, so now the work ethic just kicks in. Like, you got to do way more to get to the league than just play in college. Who was the first letter you got? You're old. We don't do letters. First interaction, bro. Boston College? I am old, der. But I'm not old. I'm young old, bro. Fair. I'm young old. But it was Boston College? Boston College? Yeah, like IRL interaction. So, I mean, let me not age myself too much, but now I do need to know. So what do they do if they don't send a letter?

5:30They just call you, email you? They'll call, or the way I did it, went to practice, he was watching our practice off right after practice. By the way, they did that back in the day, too. Came to practice. The letters were dope, though, man. I mean, I'm cool off a phone call. I don't need a letter. Who were some of the players outside of Celtics that you looked at that inspired you? I sometimes realize that when NBA players are asked about players when they were younger, A, their answers change all the time. All the time. Like, you'll ask someone one time, they'll say, man, I used to watch Vince Carter.

6:05I used to watch Kobe. I used to watch this person. And it was because they were playing. They were out in the park. You had this, like, laser focus for playing. But was there a player that you looked at growing up? Bro, KD was my favorite player since I started watching him play. For real? Yeah. Why? Bro, he just easy buckets. Like, just easy. He just make it look so easy. Just, like, the fluidity of his game. Yeah, like, he don't make it look too hard. Two, three dribbles get to your spot. Like, that's what a real professional look like. He's not trying to do too much. He just go get to his stuff.

6:32And you guys have worked out together, right? Yeah. What's that been like? I mean, it just forces you to make shots. Like, when I was in the work, I'm like, bro, I can't miss. I was focused on every follow-through. He made, like, 90 % of his shots. I was up there, and I probably made, like, 70, 80. And he really does go at, like, game speed, right? Yeah, he'll walk to the spot and then go hard. You know, walk to the spot and then go hard. So, as you started competing at the AAU level and started realizing you were that guy, did you start to feel pressures at 15, 16, 17 years old? not business pressures, and obviously you have a great support system with your family, but just the pressure of what it meant to be talked about this way at a national level.

7:12Yeah, when I was, like, younger, but, like, when I was, like, younger, like, I kind of, like, wanted this until you get it, and then it's like, ah. But, I mean, it's just, like, you just got to play basketball now. Like, all of us, like, all the kids in our 2025 class, 2024 class now, like, there is pressure on us, but, like, it's not a job yet for us, so we just hooping, like, it really don't matter. How much rivalry do you create for yourself amongst your class? When you think about some of the other players that are mentioned, your class coming into this year of college in the fall has been talked about.

7:47There's a lot of great players. Is there a rivalry for you or do you try to stay pretty laser focused? I don't think there's any rivalries in our class, but any time any of us play each other, we go at it, but there's love after the game. Like, we all play with each other. USA, different camps, NBA, Top 100 camp. Like, we played with each other. But, I mean, there's not, like, a rivalry, I would say. Who do you see in your class as special, also? DP, Darren Peterson, Kansas. Cameron Boozer, Duke. Native man, Tennessee. Chris Sanak, Houston. Malik Thomas, Davis. Like, everybody. I ain't gonna lie.

8:22Like, our class is deep. This will be a fun year. And you obviously chose to go to BYU, which I think a lot of people are surprised about. When I found out from your family why it made sense, and I think it says a lot about your mindset, but what was that rationale for you to go to BYU? Yes, I mean, obviously my ultimate goal is the NBA. And after they hired Kevin Young, he hired a strength coach from the Milwaukee Bucks, dietician from the Suns, analytics from the Suns. He just started stacking NBA, like, prototypes around us. and like last year you seen that he ran like an NBA type of offense.

8:57Yeah. And that's why I think like Yeager doing so well in the summer league because he got that type of knowledge early. And like it was just a family atmosphere on my visit. Like they were chanting my name at the football game. Like they had to do that. And it was just like there was less distraction there. Like it was just laser focus, lock in, try to win the championship. I wonder if they did have to do it. If it was like a message sent around the school. I mean maybe it was. It worked clearly. They said, yo, if you go to the game, I want you chanting AJ's name. We're trying to finish our business right now.

9:24They work. KY, I mean, KY obviously coached Kevin and Book. I understand that mentality. Do you think potentially that's something that a lot of these college programs start to think about when you think about recruiting kids of your caliber? Building out like more of a pro staff, right? Historically, you thought about Michigan State and Izzo. And obviously, these guys are legends, right? Not to take anything away from them. But the idea that a young man with as much insight that you have to go, this is the type of program I want to go to get ready to play at the next level. Maybe something that colleges start to think about a bit.

9:59Maybe. But you need like NBA type of knowledge to be able to do that. And I don't know how many colleges are going to or how many NBA coaches will go down to college. That's why I think KY was a little different because he went down to college. Yeah, that's a good point. You can have a lot of college coaches that got guys in NBA. Yeah. Like, there's a ton of them. But I don't know if they'll have the ability to run an NBA style, like how KY is doing it because he came directly from the NBA. Yeah, that's a good point. But, I mean, even across the board, right, like trainers, like you said, probably nutritionists, sports therapists, everything that they've built around there, that is the caliber of program you need now in order to have someone like you want to attend that school.

10:38In terms of, like, school, right, you're going to go to school for a year. You even, like, you take classes over the summer. or is graduating something that's still important? Yeah, I already did my spring semester. So I took two classes while I was at BYU. Yeah, definitely graduating. Even if I do go to the league before four years, I'm definitely going to try to graduate. That's what's up. You keep going to school? Like online classes? Yeah, I probably go online. All right, so heading into this season, how do you see your team? How do you feel about the squad you have? After going to the Sweet 16 last year, it should be nothing less this year, But I think with how deep we are, I don't think a lot of people understand how deep we are.

11:17I think we have a chance to go to the Final Four to even make the chip. All right, so I know your answer to this, but I'm just going to ask it because I think the question is great that I'm about to ask. All right. So if you look at Rutgers this past year, right, they obviously had two guys picked in the top five, six, but they weren't good. And it didn't really impact their... And like last year you seen that he ran like an NBA type of offense. Yeah. And that's why I think like Jaeger was doing so well in the summer league because he got that type of knowledge early. And like it was just a family atmosphere on my visit.

11:47Like they were chanting my name at the football game. Like they had to do that. And it was just like there was less distraction there. Like it was just laser focus, lock in, try to win the championship. I wonder if they did have to do it. If it was like a message sent to Run. I mean maybe it was. It worked clearly. They said yo if you go to the game I want you chanting AJ's name. We trying to finish our business right now. It worked. But KY, I mean, KY obviously coached Kevin and Book. I understand that mentality. Do you think potentially that's something that a lot of these college programs start to think about when you think about recruiting kids of your caliber?

12:21Building out like more of a pro staff, right? Historically, you thought about Michigan State and Izzo. And obviously, these guys are legends, right? Not to take anything away from them. But the idea that a young man with as much insight that you have to go, this is the type of program I want to go to get ready to play at the next level. Maybe something that colleges start to think about a bit. Maybe, but you need like NBA type of knowledge to be able to do that. And I don't know how many colleges are going to, or how many NBA coaches will go down to college. That's why I think KY was a little different because he went down to college.

12:53Yeah, that's a good point. You can have a lot of college coaches that got guys in NBA. Yeah. Like there's a ton of them. But I don't know if they'll have the ability to run an NBA style. like how KY is doing it because he came directly from the NBA. Yeah, that's a good point. But I mean, even across the board, right? Like trainers, like you said, probably nutritionists, sports therapists, everything that they've built around there. That is the caliber of program you need now in order to have someone like you want to attend that school. In terms of like school, right? You're going to go to school for a year.

13:26Do you even like you take classes over the summer? Is graduating something that's still important to you? Yeah, I already did my spring semester. So I took two classes while I was at BYU. And yeah, definitely graduating. Even if I do go to the league before four years, I'm definitely gonna try to graduate. That's what's up. You keep going to school? Like online classes? Yeah, I probably do online. Alright, so like heading into this season, how do you see your team? How do you feel about the squad you have? After going to the Sweet 16 last year, it should be nothing less this year, but I think with how deep we are, I don't think a lot of people understand how deep we are.

14:00I think we have a chance to go to the Final Four to even make the chip. All right, so I know your answer to this, but I'm just going to ask it because I think the question is great that I'm about to ask. All right. So if you look at Rutgers this past year, right, they obviously had two guys picked in the top five, six, but they weren't good. And it didn't really impact their draft positioning, even though it was spoken about on draft day. You heard it. You heard some of the naysayers talk about how Rutgers wasn't good. But for you, knowing that potentially a year from now, your dream will be starting and you have this year in front of you, is winning incredibly important for you this year?

14:38Yeah. I don't like to lose at all. So I'm not going into it like, oh, if I don't make the tournament, I'm still not going to be a top draft pick. I don't care. I'm trying to win March Madness. Yeah. That's a dream that not a lot of people like. You like living in Utah? Yeah. You do, right? I like Utah. people