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- AJ Dybantsa dad: Anicet 'Ace' Dybantsa Sr.
- AJ Dybantsa mom: Chelsea Dybantsa
- Where are AJ Dybantsa's parents from?
- Does AJ Dybantsa have siblings?
- AJ Dybantsa ethnicity
- Where is AJ Dybantsa from?
AJ Dybantsa has quickly become one of the most-hyped basketball prospects of the 21st century.
By the time he was a sophomore in high school, Dybantsa was expected to someday become one of the top picks, if not the No. 1 selection, in the 2026 NBA Draft. With outstanding scoring instincts and size in the frontcourt, Dybantsa took his talents to the BYU Cougars for his freshman season, likely his lone NCAA campaign.
Along his journey, Dybantsa has had a close-knit family by his side — including his father, Ace, who has been very involved in the forward's young basketball career.
Here's your guide to Dybantsa's family, background and more.
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Is AJ Dybantsa his real name?
"AJ" Dybantsa is not his real legal name, but a nickname. The BYU star's real name is Anicet Dybantsa Jr.
The "AJ" nickname for Dybantsa came from "Anicet Jr."
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AJ Dybantsa dad: Anicet 'Ace' Dybantsa Sr.
AJ Dybantsa's dad is Anicet "Ace" Dybantsa Sr. He was born in Congo, but grew up in Paris, France and after moving to the United States, he worked as a police officer, including as a campus police officer at Boston University, per NBA.com.
Ace Dybantsa now plays a significant role in his son's basketball career, being his manager and agent.
What does AJ Dybantsa's dad do?
Ace Dybantsa handles all of the business of AJ Dybantsa's basketball career. That includes being his manager and agent.
When AJ Dybantsa was on "First Take" explaining his decision to join the Cougars, his father was by his side to speak to Stephen A. Smith.
@firsttake ESPN's No. 1 2025 recruit AJ Dybantsa announces his commitment to BYU with his dad 💙 #lebronjames #nba #collegebasketball #basketball #ajdybantsa ♬ original sound - First TakeIn December 2025, Ace Dybantsa spoke about his and the Dybantsa family's journey to reach Utah, where they watched AJ blossom into basketball stardom.
"Sometimes I have to pinch myself,” Ace said, per the Deseret News. “I’m in Utah of all places. A kid from Africa is in Utah. We love it here. People have been great to us. They have embraced our family and have definitely embraced AJ.”
My guy Ace Dybantsa is a man of his word! My Bearcats beat BYU and he came on the court to do his 10 pushups. His son AJ should be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft. They are really good people and I wish them nothing but the best. pic.twitter.com/xjHvFB4MWY
— Alex Meacham (@Alex_Meacham) March 4, 2026Ace also said that before AJ Dybantsa committed to play college basketball for the Cougars, he and his wife, Chelsea, visited BYU themselves, speaking to new head coach Kevin Young in April 2024. After being impressed with the coach, Ace recommended his son to take a visit to campus.
“I told him, ‘You don’t have to convince me. You have to convince my son, cuz I’m not the one who is going to play,’” Ace said of his conversation with Young, per the Deseret News. “He said, ‘Give me a chance and we’ll see what happens.’”
Per the Deseret News, when AJ then made his decision to join the Cougars, he told his father that he called Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul to get a feel for Young, who had previously been a coach for the Phoenix Suns.
Ace Dybantsa previously said that his son was tall from the time he was young, long before AJ grew into a 6-foot-9 frame.
“He was tall when he was born,” Ace said of AJ, per the Deseret News. “I knew at some point he would play basketball. He didn’t want to at first. He was into Spiderman.”
Ace & AJ Dybantsa and members of the BYU coaching staff are in the house for the Jazz vs Wolves. pic.twitter.com/xd5wQi5cEe
— Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) January 21, 2026MORE: Who has the most points in a March Madness game?
AJ Dybantsa mom: Chelsea Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa's mom is Chelsea Dybantsa. She is from Jamaica, and she has a family in Hanover, Jamaica.
Nowadays, Chelsea can be seen supporting her son's basketball career at BYU.
Chelsea said in December 2025 that she encourages AJ and her other kids to emphasize education — and that the BYU star has promised her he'll complete his degree someday, even if he leaves college early for the NBA.
“Education means a lot to me,” Chelsea told the Deseret News. “I always say to my kids, that’s one thing someone can’t take away from you, so make sure to get your degree. AJ promised me that he will.”
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Where are AJ Dybantsa's parents from?
Here's what to know about AJ Dybantsa's parents' background.
AJ Dybantsa dad nationality
Anicet "Ace" Dybantsa Sr. was born in Brazzaville, Congo in the late 1960s. He lived 13 years in Congo, per BYU.edu, before moving to France with his brother.
"My dad thought it was better (for me) to move to France for a better education,” Ace said, per BYU.edu. “That’s how I started.”
While in France, Ace lived with one of his brothers, who was studying engineering, then moved in with another brother, who was a cardiologist, per BYU.edu. After five years in France, Ace then returned to Congo to acquire a visa, and he arrived in Boston in 1999.
AJ Dybantsa mom nationality
Chelsea Dybantsa is from Jamaica. In November 2025, she spoke about the hurricanes happening in her home country at the time.
“Looking at the videos from different parishes, communities, it’s just devastating right now looking at it. Part of me is happy that AJ’s college basketball season is starting. And the other part of me is thinking about the devastation and the disaster that hit Jamaica,” Chelsea Dybantsa told Andscape.
Brockton’s own AJ Dybantsa @AJ_Dybantsa has started a fund to help those in Jamaica who are facing catastrophic losses after Hurricane Melissa
AJ’s mom, Chelsea, is from Jamaica and AJ has done several clinics and giveaways there. @BYUMBB https://t.co/SFij3H5Az0
In December 2025, Chelsea Dybantsa spoke about her experiences now living in Utah.
“AJ went up into the stands. It was such a great feeling. I could see how it was going to be. The students embraced him and he was having a ball. I was picturing him on the court during that time,” Chelsea said, per the Deseret News. “What I love about Utah is the mountains. Coming out of the house and a mountain is right beside you — it’s a surreal experience coming from the East Coast.”
Ace Dybantsa told NBA.com in 2023 that he and his wife's background have made AJ and sisters a "no nonsense" kind of family.
“AJ has that rare combination … I call it Jafrican,” Dybantsa Sr. told NBA.com. “I have two daughters too and when they were younger, they all used to do push-ups … 50 in the morning and 50 in the evening for AJ. I work nights, so I’m not home and they thought they would get away with not doing their pushups at night. Guess what I did — had a camera system in the house where they would do pushups, so you couldn’t cheat. My wife wasn’t happy, but I told her I knew what I was doing.”
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Does AJ Dybantsa have siblings?
AJ Dybantsa has two sisters. He is the middle child of the three.
AJ Dybantsa sister: Samarra Dybantsa
Samarra Dybantsa is AJ's older sister. Per the Deseret News, she is currently a student at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
AJ Dybantsa sister: Jasmyn Dybantsa
Jasmyn Dybantsa is AJ's younger sister. She is in high school and a volleyball player at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, per the Deseret News. Like her brother, Jasmyn is considered one of the best players in her class.
A top volleyball prospect in the Class of 2027, Jasmyn previously helped her team finish as the runner-up at the AAU Spring Kickoff Tournament.
Per MaxPreps, Jasmyn Dybantsa has posted 17 kills in her varsity career so far.
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AJ Dybantsa ethnicity
AJ Dybantsa was born in America, but has Congolese and Jamaican descent from different sides of his family.
While his mother was born in Jamaica, his father is from Congo and spent time living in France.
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Is AJ Dybantsa Mormon?
Dybantsa is not Mormon and didn't commit to BYU because of its religious affiliation, per the Deseret News.
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Where is AJ Dybantsa from?
AJ Dybantsa is from Boston, Massachusetts. He began his high school career in the Brockton area, playing for Saint Sebastian's School his freshman year, which is an all-boys Catholic school.
However, as Dybantsa's basketball profile increased, he transferred to elite prep academies twice; first, to Prolific Prep in California for his sophomore year, then to Utah Prep for his final high school season before committing to BYU.
English (US)