AJ Dybantsa Explains His Trending Reaction in Viral Video After Wizards Won 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

BYU star AJ Dybantsa's reaction to the Washington Wizards winning the NBA draft lottery went viral for his solemn look, but it was all by design.

During an appearance on NBA TV at the draft combine in Chicago, Dybantsa was asked about his viral reaction, and he said it was his goal to keep his emotions in check during the lottery.

"You're trained not to react," Dybantsa said. "A lot of the top players like Cooper Flagg last year, and we can go down the line, just have no reaction at all. You don't want to seem too happy, you don't want to seem too down. So I just kept a straight face, kept the poker face, but you know people are just gonna make their own assumptions."

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B/R's Zach Buckley predicted in his mock draft that the Wizards will use the No. 1 pick to select Dybantsa.