AJ Dybantsa Makes Surprise Nike Appearance in Jamaica

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeff Hauser | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 3:14 PM ET

AJ Dybantsa has been traveling the globe lately. BYU's top basketball recruit made a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix last week and got the opportunity to be in the pits with Max Verstappen's Red Bull Racing team. But he also made a surprise trip to Kingston, Jamaica to learn about his roots and giveback on behalf of Nike.

Dybantsa documented his journey in a recent YouTube video. He handed out shoes and basketballs, along with playing a few pickup games. This was all set up by the Bob Marley and Rita Marley Foundations. What made the meet and greet special for Dybantsa was his ties to the Caribbean island. His mom, Chelsea, is from Jamaica and created the no-nonsense structure for her son.

For BYU, Dybantsa being able to represent brands on a global scale is an invaluable recruiting tool. One of the first things people noticed was his team gear, which might be foreign to some but will start to become more recognizable and part of his brand. This comes at the right time with the Cougars building up hype toward next season.

"Dybantsa has been a celebrated prospect since before he entered high school, and has avoided many of the pitfalls of early stardom by consistently improving his game at each step in the process," 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein said.

"Still though, he’s become accustomed to playing to the camera and can go through spurts when it becomes more of a show than a game. The time is soon coming when the level of competition won’t again allow that. He won’t be able to worry about cameras, officiating, or other distractions, and will have to make his singular emphasis."

BYU Basketball’s upcoming non-conference schedule is nearing completion after this week. They added UConn, Wisconsin, Villanova, along with a multi-team event at Disney World in Orlando. One of the best ways for Dybantsa to introduce himself to the world of college basketball.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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