AJ Dybantsa has upgraded from NIL deal to partnership with Nike

LOS ANGELES — ie AJ Dybants Transitioning from college basketball to prepare for the NBA draft, he is also taking the next step in his endorsement deal with Nike.

Divantsa, who signed a NIL contract with Nike through January 2024, is extending that deal to a pro basketball contract, he told ESPN.

“It means everything,” Divantsa said. “They’ve been with me since day one. It’s been a great partnership and we look forward to continuing to build for the long term.”

The 6-9, 210-pound DiBantsa declared for the draft after a stellar freshman season at Brigham Young University, when he led the nation in scoring with 25.5 points on 51% shooting to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Dybantsa has big plans for his NBA career, starting with June’s draft night.

“Ever since the rankings came out in 9th grade, I was No. 1 (in my class),” Divantsa told ESPN. “I wasn’t short of anything. So, it’s definitely a goal of mine to go number 1.”

He works for the draft in Los Angeles, most recently working with Boston native Ex Boston Celtics Guard Isaiah Thomas and basketball coach, Jack Gonzales, who counts the Celtics guard Peyton Pritchard among his clients. He said he has carried his Boston background with him throughout his basketball journey.

“Passion, probably,” Divantsa said when asked to identify what Boston’s players meant. “After a big stop, a big bucket, I scream a lot, flex a lot. I think it’s pretty Boston for me.”

He also did some scouting of his future competition by attending Game 2 Los Angeles LakersAgainst the first round of the series Houston Rockets in person

“It’s definitely physical,” Dybantsa said. “Things get a little more crazy in the playoffs. It’s probably a tougher environment because it’s a very physical game.”

While at BYU, Dybantsa got a headstart on preparing his body for the next level of physicality while working with the director of strength and conditioning and sports science, Michael Davie, who had previously won a championship in a similar role. The Milwaukee Bucks.

“He’ll do a lot of strength tests with us and he’ll compare us to a lot of guys in the NBA, because he’ll have that kind of information on his iPad,” DiBantsa said. “So he would compare, for example, my lateral movement Jrue holiday Or compare my vertical jump Giannis (Antetokounmpo). So I got to see where I ranked early in my college career.”

and his head coach at BYU, Kevin Young, a longtime NBA assistant coach Philadelphia 76ers And Phoenix SunsPrepares him for the style and scheme of the league.

“KY has put us in a position to be a pro,” Divantsa said. “You saw me a lot of isolations, you saw me a lot of pick-and-rolls. You saw us all in a lot of early action. We scored very early on the shot clock. So, I feel like I’m used to how the NBA plays in college.”

As the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago approaches next month, DiBantsa, who shot 33.1% on 3-pointers in college, is familiarizing himself with the extended NBA 3-point line.

“Just trying to be a knock-down shooter and use the NBA line,” he said. “I think I have pretty good mechanics. It’s just getting used to the line and just… I think my percentages are going down because I was shooting dumb shots. So, I’m just focusing a lot on shooting smart shots. And getting used to the range.”

Nike created a logo for DiBantsa, along with the new contract, with a star made of his initials that allude to his childhood nickname.

“It’s some abstract art,” DiBantsa said. “It’s like an A and a J. If you turn it over, you can see it. … I had a nickname when I was a kid … ‘Star Boy.’ So, I am always the star. And stress doesn’t really phase me. It refines me like a diamond.”

He told ESPN that he plans to put down roots with his charity in the city that drafted him, inspired by his father, who was born in the Republic of Congo and returned to Brazzaville a few years later to donate to his childhood elementary school.

And then she plans to work in court and establish herself as the best in her class.

“There are a lot of greats who have won Rookie of the Year,” he said. “I don’t want to win Rookie of the Year. I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh, I don’t really care about Rookie of the Year.’ Yes, I would definitely like to win it.”