AJ Dybantsa Reveals Advice from LeBron James During Private 2023 Workout with Lakers Star

AJ Dybantsa got business advice from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James long before entering the 2026 NBA draft.

Dybantsa said in an appearance on ALL THE SMOKE that he spoke with James after the two worked out with trainer Chris Johnson in 2023.

"I was just picking his brain a little bit after the workout... not even about basketball, just finding a good business partner," Dybantsa said around the 7:45 mark of his podcast appearance. "I kind of took that and ran away with it."

That advice might have paid off. Dybantsa received an On3 NIL valuation of $4.2 million during his freshman season at BYU.

That ranked him second only to Texas quarterback Arch Manning in On3's NIL rankings for the 2025-26 season.

Those high earnings are in part due to Dybantsa's NIL deal with Nike, which he signed in 2024 and recently extended into his upcoming pro basketball career.

Dybantsa led the nation with 25.5 points per game in his lone season at BYU, during which he shot 51 percent from the field while adding 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

He is projected by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman to go to the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 pick in next month's draft.

Should Dybantsa hear his name called first when the draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn, he would be set to add to his college earnings with a $69 million rookie contract.