The upcoming 2026 NBA Draft is expected to be one of the most talented and deep in recent years and the top prospect in the eyes of many is BYU forward AJ Dybantsa. And the young prospect is already getting the best preparation possible as he was able to workout with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
To be able to work out and learn from one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game is something most never get to experience. And in working out with James, one thing in particular stood out to the prospect.
“Just his patience,” Dybantsa told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine. “He’s just super patient, even when he works out. If it’s in the post, if he’s reading defenses he’s just patient. That’s probably why he’s played so long.”
One of the most important things for young players to learn as they develop is to slow the game down and not rush into everything. James has always been able to do that from a young age and Dybantsa figuring that out at this stage will only allow him to step into the NBA and be able to perform at a high level from day one.
But Dybantsa wasn’t the only one learning as he revealed that he had a move or two that impressed the Lakers’ superstar as well.
“Anything I did to surprise him? My hesi,” Dybantsa added. “He said my hesi was crazy. Like he could like tell. He was like, ‘That’s gotta be his move.’ I remember that.”
James has seen everything there is to see so for that move to impress him in that way says a lot. Dybantsa had an extremely impressive season at BYU averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51% from the field and many expect him to quickly establish himself as one of the best young talents in the NBA once he gets his career started.
The Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery and the expectation among most is that they will make Dybantsa the first overall pick. And if James was indeed that impressed with their workout together, the Wizards will soon have a true cornerstone to build their team around.
‘A lot of teams’ have reached out to Rich Paul about LeBron James
Of course, there is also the question about whether Dybantsa could face off with James in the NBA, but that will only happen if the 41-year-old returns for a 24th season. It is still unclear if that will happen, but many teams are already reportedly reaching out to his agent Rich Paul as James is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
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