Brockton celebrates as hometown star A.J. Dybantsa goes No. 1 in 2026 NBA Draft

BROCKTON, Mass. — Putting Brockton on the map.

The Washington Wizards selected Brockton native A.J. Dybantsa first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night.

Students gathered at the city’s Davis K-8 School on Plain Street, where Dybantsa attended as a child, to hold a watch party — and they had a lot to celebrate.

The kids, some wearing shirts with Dybantsa’s face on them, went nuts as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the 19-year-old as the first overall pick, going to the Washington Wizards.

After attending the Davis K-8 School, Dybantsa played one year at St. Sebastian’s in Needham, where he was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. His family then moved out west, where he attended prep schools and played one year at Brigham Young University.

Last night, he gave a shoutout to his community and to all the young kids watching him.

“I mean, Brockton bred, 508,” said AJ Dybantsa. “I do everything for them. I like helping back in the community, and just kind of giving kids hope. There are a lot of kids who play basketball out there and think that they can’t make it, but once they see me, they’re like, ‘OK, they might have some hope.’ It doesn’t necessarily have to be basketball, but anything they do — if they want to be a doctor, an engineer, anything — I just try to be a role model.”

The 6-foot-9 forward continues to have his work cut out for him. The Wizards have lost 200 games over the past three seasons.

Dybantsa’s third-grade teacher at the Davis K-8 School said she remembers him as a tall, lanky kid who always worked hard, and his family was very involved with making sure he was doing well in school.

“They were always, you know, jumping in, helping him, things like that,” said Sarah St. George, a teacher at Davis K-8 School. “But he always chased his dreams. It’s so cliché, but if you really believe in yourself, you can absolutely have everything you ever wanted.”

It’s been a while since a basketball player from Massachusetts was selected number one overall in the NBA draft. The last player was Patrick Ewing, who grew up in Cambridge in 1985.

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