Carmelo Anthony Reveals Advice to AJ Dybantsa Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft in New Video

AJ Dybantsa could hear his name called first during Tuesday's NBA draft, and he received some advice from a Hall of Famer before his life changes and he becomes a professional.

"You don't know what's about to come. That's my advice," Carmelo Anthony told him on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast (27:15 mark). "Like, you don't know what's about to happen. I can't sit there and say, 'Well, this is going to happen.' You don't know what's going to happen. 

"You're gonna go through every emotion that you could possibly go through when it comes to dealing with hearing your name as a number one pick, right? So, you're going to go through that. I told him off camera, man, it's so much stress on what he has, like, that crown is heavy. It could get heavy for anybody, let alone a 19-year-old.

"So, just enjoy it. Like, have fun. The season ain't here yet, right? You get what I'm saying? Enjoy every step of the way. Enjoy the draft. Enjoy Summer League. Enjoy mini camp. Enjoy training camp. Enjoy preseason. Enjoy every step of the way."

While Anthony did not go No. 1 overall in the 2003 draft, there is plenty from his situation that mirrors that of Dybantsa.

They were both elite wing scorers who played one year of college basketball and drew national attention as All-Americans who carried their teams. Anthony averaged 22.2 points per game in his one season at Syracuse, while Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points a night.

Expectations were sky-high for Anthony when he arrived in the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the same draft that included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, just like expectations will be high for Dybantsa as part of the same class as Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected the BYU product to go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards in his most recent mock draft, which will only make the spotlight brighter and the expectations bigger.

But Anthony wants the 19-year-old to take things one step at a time as he becomes adjusted to the NBA level before even stepping on the floor for a regular-season game in his rookie season.

If he does that, he can live up to the hype while taking advantage of the openings that will come from playing alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis in Washington.