AJ Dybantsa: $3.8 million NIL-valued AJ Dybantsa drops 5 words for his noble gesture in Jamaica

BYU Cougars commit AJ Dybantsa, embarked on a trip to Jamaica last week in collaboration with the Bob & Rita Marley Foundation. His time on the island helped the player get in touch with his roots and reach out to some young people.

On Monday, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025 posted a video of an exchange with some Jamaican kids in which he can be seen donating gear to the youngsters. Dybantsa shared a short message that embodied what the trip meant to him.

"This is the whole point," AJ Dybantsa wrote.

Dybantsa spent five days in Jamaica after arriving last Thursday. He spoke with authorities from the Jamaican Basketball Association, visited schools and donated gear and equipment.

During the trip, Dybantsa and his family also visited the Tuff Gong Studios and the Trent Town Community court, where AJ Dybantsa got to play some ball. He has also shared several stories of his interactions in the country.

While AJ Dybantsa was born in Hurricane, Utah, his mother, Chelsea, is from Hanover, Jamaica. The forward's father, Anicent, is from Congo. Both parents traveled with the basketball player.

Dybantsa's connection to Jamaica is strong. In 2024, he applied to represent his mother's country. While he represented the US at the Nike Hoops Summit last year, he could still play for the Caribbean country in international tournaments.

The $3.8 million NIL-worth Dybantsa (per On3) has already signed to play for the BYU Cougars next season. The 6-9, 210-pound forward is also considered by many to be the top prospect for the 2026 NBA draft.

AJ Dybantsa shares training pictures from BYU facility

AJ Dynantsa committed to the BYU Cougars in December, and even though the season is still a few months away, the top prospect is already working out with an eye on representing the Cougars.

Before heading to Jamaica, in an Instagram post from last Thursday, the Utah Prep product was working out at the school's gym.

While top prospects usually end up at blue-blood programs like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, or Kansas, the Utah native decided to stay in his home state in college.

According to the player, it was Kevin Young's "family atmosphere" that tilted the balance in favor of Brigham Young.

The Cougars are coming off a 26-10 season where they made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed. After beating VCU and Wisconsin, BYU lost to Alabama in the Sweet 16.

About the author

Allan Wolburg Robles is a College Sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over 17 years of experience in the field writing for publications including Reforma, Yahoo! OddsShark and Apuesta. Allan studied Communications at Anáhuac University, where he learned what would become the basis of a trade that was already a dream of his before starting college.

His favorite team is Army West Point as when he was young, Allan lived in West Point for a couple of years, went to pretty much every home game, a couple of Army-Navy games and even got to meet some of the players.

Allan's favorite players of all time include Tommie Frazier, who was unbelievable during the Nebraska dynasty of the early 90's. Tim Tebow was also a favorite, mainly because of his leadership skills, although he was also awesome on the football field. As a fan of defensive football, (or what's left of it), Sean Taylor could take over a game for Miami.

Allan has always considered himself a student of the game more than a fan of it. So the historical part and evolution of the game, as well as the ins and outs of what happens on the field, and being able to put it into words for the audience, are his biggest strengths.

Besides sports, Allan enjoys reading books, watching movies and spending time with his dogs.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra