The fans who attended the watch party are hopeful that Dybantsa can be the superstar who will lead them to the playoffs and possibly an NBA championship, something the franchise hasn\u2019t won since 1978 when they were the Bullets.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a star and that\u2019s what the city needs, that\u2019s what this team needs,\u201d Wizards fan Malik Shareef, who moved to the D.C. area in 2010, told WTOP. \u201cHe has a big personality. We\u2019re really looking forward to seeing him transform the team and kind of bring some swag. It\u2019s the start of a new era.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer Belt, who has been a fan of the team his whole life, told WTOP that he came to the watch party to see the first overall pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s going to be the guy within two years,\u201d Belt said of Dybantsa. \u201cI think he\u2019ll be the engine that leads the team and takes us to the playoffs and wins some games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another fan, Max Smith, described the selection of Dybantsa as a \u201cfranchise-altering pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited. I think he\u2019s going to change the whole franchise,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI think he\u2019s going to be insane for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mechelle Merkerson recently moved to the D.C. area and became a fan of the Wizards because of their underdog status.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been trying their hardest. The games that I have attended, I have really enjoyed them,\u201d Merkerson said. \u201cThe city itself is very surrounded with love toward the Wizards.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Wizards](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Photo-Jun-23-2026-8-12-26-PM-705x1254.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Washington Wizards fans at The Anthem watch AJ Dybansta shake NBA Commissioner Adam Silver\u2019s hands after he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, 2026.
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Hundreds of Washington Wizards fans attended a draft watch party at The Anthem in The Wharf on June 23, 2026.
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\n WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Wizards\u2019 fans erupted in cheers when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick out of BYU.
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<\/p>\n
The fans who attended the watch party are hopeful that Dybantsa can lead them to the playoffs and possibly an NBA championship, something the franchise hasn\u2019t won since 1978 when they were the Bullets.
\n(WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje) <\/p>\n
\n WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje <\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Photo-Jun-23-2026-8-51-30-PM-705x1254.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards and former WTOP Senior Sports Director Dave Johsnon (left) said the selection will lead to \u201csustained success\u201d for the team.
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\n WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje <\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Photo-Jun-23-2026-6-00-48-PM-941x1254.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Dybantsa, listed at 6 feet, 9 inches tall and 217 pounds, is a long and athletic player.
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\n WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
One fan, Max Smith, described the selection of Dybantsa as a \u201cfranchise-altering pick.\u201d
\n(WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje) <\/p>\n
\n WTOP\/Tadiwos Abedje <\/p>\n
Dybanta the player<\/strong><\/p>\n Dybantsa, listed at 6 feet, 9 inches tall and 217 pounds, is a long and athletic player who showed his ability to score and defend at a high level during his single season at BYU, where he averaged 25.5 points per game. He has been compared to D.C.-area native and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n Cameron Gantt, who works for Monumental Sports, said Dybantsa is the type of player the team has spent years looking for.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of those draft picks that changes your franchise,\u201d Gantt said. \u201cHe\u2019s just one of those franchise players that you hope you get when you get the No. 1 pick. \u2026 We\u2019re blessed to have this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards and former WTOP Senior Sports Director Dave Johnson agreed with the sentiment. Before the Wizards made their selection, Johnson told WTOP the team has been developing young players, such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly.<\/p>\n With the help of veteran players in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, Johnson said, \u201cIt\u2019ll start a consistent rise for the Wizards and that\u2019s what this team wants, sustained success.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington Wizards radio broadcaster Glenn Consor was very excited about the pick. Speaking to a crowd of fans before the watch party came to a close, he described Dybantsa as a combination of Basketball Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett \u2014 who was known for his competitiveness, passion and intensity.<\/p>\n \u201cYou combine those two players, you have something very special,\u201d Consor said. \u201cWe all have something very much to look forward to. His athleticism, his ability to score in the paint. \u2026 His greatest asset is running the floor in transition. You\u2019re going to see the Wizards run a lot this year. It\u2019s going to be so much fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n