Article published by Jacob Posner - The Enterprise - June 30, 2026

BROCKTON — AJ Dybantsa returned to his hometown Monday, answering questions from dozens of kids at the Old Colony YMCA just days after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

What teacher did he have in first grade? Ms. Gomes. Does he play any other sports? No. Why did he choose to play in the NBA? "It was a lifelong dream," he said, chuckling.

The kids wore shirts that read "Dybantsa Foundation" and regularly broke out into screaming chants of "Let's go, AJ, let's go!" Before taking questions, the 19-year-old shared some words of wisdom.

'So much confidence for their future'

The kids learned Dybantsa's favorite NBA player when he was young was Kevin Durant, and that he's "super excited" to play for the Washington Wizards. One asked why he likes basketball, and he explained it was because of a Spiderman-themed hoop.

Dybantsa has said previously he shot a miniature basketball into the hoop, which his dad had put on the back of his bedroom door. He got his start playing the game in a league through the Brockton YMCA, he said.

Another kid asked how he has the courage to play basketball. Dybantsa said he practices so much that he feels confident in his abilities when he's playing a game.

Mauli Semedo, a senior group leader at the YMCA, said he was so happy to see how excited the kids were.

"When people think about Brockton, Massachusetts, let's be honest, they don't think about big things. They go like, 'Oh, that's the hood. Nothing comes out of there,'" he said. "For [the kids] to see somebody made it out the same small town as them, to being the overall, number one draft pick, is exciting for them. And that, I feel like, that gives them so much confidence for their future."