AJ Dybantsa NBA draft 2026: No. 1 pick by Washington Wizards talks ‘surreal’ moment

AJ Dybantsa heard the words that few players in history can say have been uttered about them by the NBA commissioner: “With the first pick of the NBA draft ...”The former BYU star joined elite company as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday when the Washington Wizards selected him as what they hope will be a franchise savior

AJ Dybantsa heard the words that few players in history can say have been uttered about them by the NBA commissioner: “With the first pick of the NBA draft ...”

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

The former BYU star joined elite company as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday when the Washington Wizards selected him as what they hope will be a franchise savior.

The 19-year-old from Massachusetts spoke on “TODAY” on Wednesday about what it was like to become the 80th No. 1 overall pick since the first draft in 1947. The moment was filled with some suspense, as Dybantsa was in the mix with two other players, Darryn Peterson of Kansas and Cameron Boozer of Duke, for the No. 1 overall pick.