Living the dream! Top NBA Draft pick Dybantsa throws out 1st pitch at Fenway
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It’s been quite the week for AJ Dybantsa.
Selected first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, Dybantsa got his chance to live out a particular baseball dream on Saturday at Fenway Park.
Dybantsa threw out the first pitch before watching his hometown Red Sox defeat the Yankees, 4-1. Not only did the baseball look tiny in the 6-foot-9 forward’s hands, but he delivered an impressively accurate -- albeit slow and looping -- first pitch to Red Sox rookie lefty Payton Tolle, who was serving as the catcher.
Born in Boston and raised in nearby Brockton, Mass., Dybantsa attended Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass., before transferring to Prolific Prep in California after his freshman year. The top high school basketball recruit in the country, he signed with BYU and was stellar in his lone season with the Cougars, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
While Dybantsa’s future isn’t in baseball -- although it would be fun to see him become one of the tallest players in MLB history -- his first pitch was a lot better than some we’ve seen.