AJ Dybantsa Has Big NBA Plans. He’ll Chase Them While Wearing Nike
AJ Dybantsa is months away from entering the NBA as the projected No. 1 draft pick this June. But first, there’s business to tend to.
The future sneaker status of Dybantsa, 19, has been unclear since June 2025, when his NIL deal with Nike reportedly expired. There’s been speculation he could choose another sneaker company , and star NBA players have increasingly signed with rival brands in recent years—New Balance has Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, and Cooper Flagg on its roster, while Adidas counts Anthony Edwards, James Harden, and Damian Lillard as signature athletes. But the 6’9” forward, coming off a stellar freshman season at Brigham Young University, has made his decision.
He’s sticking with the swoosh under a multiyear deal, financial terms for which are not being disclosed. “They’ve believed in me since day one,” Dybantsa tells Front Office Sports . “It was kind of a no-brainer…some of my favorite players—Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant—were all Nike partners.
” Dybantsa spoke with FOS a few days after formally declaring for the draft from his elementary school in Brockton, Mass. , a day he describes as “super surreal. ” He wore a sweatshirt emblazoned with his own custom logo—a star with points that are stylized A’s and J’s.
Like many, Dybantsa has dreamed of making the NBA since he was very little; unlike most, the dream is being achieved. Since he was about 12, Dybantsa knew he was a better athlete than his father, Anicet Dybantsa Sr. , or Ace, who plays a central role in Dybantsa’s off-court business affairs.