BYU-bound AJ Dybantsa shows gratitude to the Bob Marley Foundation as he gets involved in Jamaican basketball initiative

Five-star BYU signee AJ Dybantsa is proud of his Jamaican roots, even representing the country during last year's Nike Hoop Summit. His mom, Chelsea, was originally from Jamaica, while his father, Ace, was from Congo. Now, the Utah Prep small forward is once again giving back to his mother's homeland through basketball.

The Bob & Rita Marley Foundation has announced that they have partnered up with AJ Dybantsa to help out local basketball programs, and help grow the sport in his mother's homeland. This partnership seeks to inspire the youth of the Caribbean country through sports such as basketball.

Dybantsa, with his parents, met with the children of Bob Marley, Cedella, Saiyan, and Jeremiah, on Saturday in Jamaica. There, they talked about the Jamaican basketball scene and helping the sport grow in the country, which is more known for producing sprinters and track stars than basketball stars.

AJ Dybantsa also posted about the meeting in an Instagram story, thanking the Bob & Rita Marley Foundation and promising to return and give back to the community there in Jamaica.

AJ Dybantsa in Jamaica with the children of late Reggae legend Bob Marley (Source: IG/ aj.dybantsa)

"Thank you to the @bobmarleyfoundation for this amazing weekend, will definitely be continuing to come back and give back!!" said AJ Dybantsa.

This initiative was done in partnership with the country's national basketball federation, known as the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA). The federation revealed that the initiative "includes school visits and equipment donations, inspiring young athletes through the power of sport."

Dybantsa also spoke with JABA and released a statement on their official website:

. “I was taught to give back, and what better place than where my mother was born," said the five-star BYU signee.

What happened during AJ Dybantsa's visit to Jamaica?

Dybantsa and his family are in Jamaica until Monday, and they did not just meet with the Marleys, but also went to several events hosted by JABA. This included AJ visiting Jamaica College to see the Jamaican U17 national team have a training session.

During his time there, the BYU-bound small forward made gear presentations to male and female representatives, which also included several players from St. Catherine High School.

“Next time I come back, I definitely want to do clinics and really help the kids get better,” he said. “Today was more about giving them shoes so they have what they need to even play. But the next step is skill development.”

He and his family also toured the legendary Tuff Gong Studios and played at the Trench Town Community Court.