Before he was selected first overall in this year's draft, Washington Wizards top prospect AJ Dybantsa was humbled by his father. Expectations are high for Dybantsa and the Wizards this upcoming season. However, before entering the NBA, AJ's dad, Ace, shared a story about his son's academic struggles in high school.
Years before the Wizards selected him first overall in this year's draft, Dybantsa's dad revealed how he punished his son, per The Athletic's David Aldridge.
“When AJ got a C-minus in a class, Ace called his son’s AAU coach, and told him they’d be driving from Brockton to the AAU team’s next tournament that weekend, in the Philadelphia area — except that AJ was not, under any circumstances, allowed to play,” Aldridge reported. “It’s a six-hour drive from Brockton to Philly. Ace and AJ made the drive. Went to the gym. AJ warmed up with his teammates. But when the game began, he sat. And he cried in the back seat on the six-hour drive home.”
Dybantsa's dad says it was the best idea he could think of as a way of punishing his son.
Article Continues Below“I tell parents, never be afraid to punish the kid,” he said. “Because I can’t whoop his ass. I live in America. There’s something called child abuse. My dad whooped my ass when I was young, but I was in the Congo; they didn’t care. So, take something that he loves the most — basketball and his cell phone. It worked. I just don’t play. I’m about tough love.”
Perhaps that tough love for Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa paid off. He's the NBA's top prospect with a bright future ahead of him. Led by Anthony Davis and Trae Young in 2026-27, the Wizards could make their first playoff appearance in six years.