AJ Dybantsa Reveals Surprising NBA Starting 5 That Will Get Him ‘Canceled'

AJ Dybantsa is widely projected as the first overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, as most analysts, scouts, and fans believe he’s the best talent available at the top of the board.

He is expected to join a Washington Wizards team that has struggled and been irrelevant for many years now, failing to achieve a winning record, let alone any postseason appearances.

That led many to express concern for Dybantsa immediately, before he even plays his first NBA preseason or regular-season games, since he’s going to such a disappointing team.

However, he’s exuded confidence that whichever team takes him will be better off, and that he’ll help his teammates improve once he joins the league.

Ahead of June’s draft, Dybantsa was asked to name his NBA starting lineup of five players, and prefaced it by claiming he would be “canceled” for his choices.

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“I’m about to get canceled for some of this, but I’ll put LeBron [James] at the one. I’ll put [Nikola Jokic] at the five. I’ll play the three. I’ll put [Kevin Durant] at the four, and I’ll have [Stephen] Curry at the two, but he’s strictly there to shoot,” the future NBA rookie said.

That confidence is certainly on display with that starting five, which includes LeBron James. Still, it seems to disregard legendary players from the past, such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. However, Dybantsa may have been naming an active starting five rather than digging into the past for legends.

Including oneself is nothing new for players who believe they’ll become one of the league’s top stars, and that’s a clear self-promotion from Dybantsa, even though he doesn’t need it with his current draft projection.

While surprises can happen, they are rarer when it’s the first pick in the recent sports drafts. Indiana champion and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was labeled a No. 1 pick forever and finally had his name called last month to kick off the NFL Draft.

Last year, Duke’s Cooper Flagg was a consensus No. 1 pick in projections, and the same was true of Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wemby has quickly shown himself amongst the league’s elite players, and Flagg, who claimed NBA Rookie of the Year, is on his way to becoming a superstar.

Dybantsa could do the same, although this is considered an exceptionally deep draft class, with potential star players coming not only in the first five picks but even later. This year’s draft includes talented players such as Kansas’s Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cam Boozer, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson.

And the BYU standout will have to prove himself as a true contender in a starting five of that greatness, but it seems he completely has the confidence in himself to show the world what he’s capable of.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:15 PM.