AJ Dybantsa Ups NIL Deal to Pro Nike Partnership in 2026

AJ Dybantsa extends his NIL deal with Nike as he prepares for the NBA draft, looking to build on their successful partnership.

Dybantsa Extends Nike NIL Deal As AJ Dybantsa transitions from college basketball to prepare for the NBA draft, he is also taking the next step in his endorsement deal with Nike. This development comes as Dybantsa is declaring for the draft after a stellar freshman season at Brigham Young University, where he led the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game on 51%, along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The 6-9, 210-pound Dybantsa has big plans for his NBA career, starting with draft night in June. He has been working out for the draft in Los Angeles, with the Boston native recently working out with former Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas and basketball trainer Zack Gonzales, who counts Celtics guard Payton Pritchard among his clients. ## Dybantsa's Goals for the NBA Dybantsa has been working towards becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, a goal he's had since his 9th-grade rankings. He told that he hasn't been anything lower than No. 1 in his class. He plans to establish roots with his charity in whatever city drafts him, inspired by his father, who was born in the Republic of the Congo and returned to Brazzaville years later to donate to his childhood elementary school. Dybantsa also aims to win the Rookie of the Year award, saying, 'I don't want to not win Rookie of the Year. I'm not going to sit here and be like, 'Oh, I don't really care about Rookie of the Year.' Yeah, I definitely want to win it.' ## Dybantsa's Preparation for the NBA Dybantsa has been working out with strength and conditioning coach Michael Davie at Brigham Young University, who previously worked with the Milwaukee Bucks. Davie would compare Dybantsa's stats to those of NBA players, such as Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo, helping Dybantsa understand where he ranked in terms of strength and athleticism. His head coach at BYU, Kevin Young, also prepared him for the league's style and schemes, putting Dybantsa in positions to be a pro. Dybantsa has also been familiarizing himself with the extended NBA 3-point line, saying, 'Just trying to be a knock-down shooter and use the NBA line. I think I have pretty good mechanics. It's just getting used to the line and just .. I think my percentage was kind of falling because I was shooting dumb shots. So, I'm paying a lot of attention to just shooting smarter shots. And getting used to the range.' ## Nike Creates a Logo for Dybantsa Nike created a logo for Dybantsa, in conjunction with the new deal, a star made up of his first initials that alludes to his childhood nickname, 'Star Boy.' Dybantsa said, 'It's some abstract art. It's like an A and a J. If you keep flipping it, you see it.. I got a nickname when I was younger .. 'Star Boy.' So, I've always been a star. And the pressure doesn't really phase me. It kind of refines me, like a diamond.'