AJ Dybantsa has not even played one game in the NBA, and he is already raising eyebrows across the league. The projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming  2026 NBA Draft made two viral claims during his media interaction in Chicago, drawing reactions from fans on social media.

The BYU forward spoke to the media during the NBA Draft Combine. During the interaction, he was asked to put the best starting five from the current NBA. And he surprised everyone by playing LeBron James at one, Nikola Jokic at center and Kevin Durant at the forward position.

However, his first surprise came when he selected himself at the small forward position and then outdid himself with Curry playing the shooting guard on his team, for an outrageous reason. “I’ll have Curry at the 2, but he’s strictly there to shoot,” Dybantsa said. 

It was a bit surprising that AJ Dybantsa chose Curry at the SG position, and that too just for shooting. The Golden State Warriors star is the greatest shooter in NBA history, but the four-time NBA champion’s impact goes far beyond the 3-point line.

In addition to that, picking James as the playmaker was a bit surprising, too, and Dybantsa already told reporters that he might get canceled for his comments.

To his credit, James’ positionless basketball doesn’t make him unfit at any position, and he can get the job done as well as anyone in the league.

AJ Dybantsa’s cocky response in choosing himself for a team comprising all-time greats and his bold statement about Curry prompted reactions from fans. It would be safe to say that fans are already loving the raw confidence in the projected No. 1 pick. 

NBA fans support AJ Dybantsa’s pick for his current starting five

Dybantsa’s statement about Curry’s role, just as a shooter, is bold, given the impact that Curry has had, especially on the young generation.

“This young man is on the agenda 4life. Bron at the 1 & told 30 to spot up? He knows ball. This lineup tuff,” one fan wrote.

Curry, James, Durant and Jokic share 11 championships between them. It is hard to stack up a better team in the NBA that would legitimately have a chance to beat this team, despite old age and non-athleticism being a big issue.

“LeBron, Curry, KD, and Jokic... that’s literally an unstoppable lineup. Dybantsa clearly knows the game,” another fan commented.

While Dybantsa picking himself in the starting five alongside all-time greats can be seen as being cocky, it would be hard to deny that the BYU star has a lot of confidence in himself.

“Putting yourself in the Top 5 is legendary. If you don't believe you belong with the greats, you’ll never become one,” a fan commented.

Across the comments section, so many fans found it hard to let go of AJ Dybantsa’s comment about Curry.

“Four all-time greats and one teenager. And the teenager looked at the greatest shooter in NBA history and said — you are here strictly to shoot. The audacity of that sentence belongs in a Hall of Fame of its own,” a fan declared.

The offense would be hard to beat for any team. Some fans, however, also reminded the young draft prospect that he barely paid any attention to defense.

“Good team, but that paint would be free eats,” a fan wrote.

Do you agree with Dybantsa’s starting five? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Koushik Biswas