CLEVELAND — Exactly 16 years after John Wall debuted against the Orlando Magic, AJ Dybantsa stepped onto the court at Rocket Arena for his NBA debut.
It marked a passing of the torch from one No. 1 pick to another, with Wall on the Monumental Sports broadcast team as the Wizards’ next superstar began his career. And he didn’t disappoint.
On a minutes restriction in his first game since spraining his left ankle on Oct. 16, Dybantsa scored 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting in Washington’s 121-111 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He scored from all three levels. And he did so with great poise for a 19-year-old in his first contest against real NBA competition.
The 6-foot-9 wing said he wanted his first points to be a dunk, so he skied for one on the very first possession. He was fouled and made the ensuing free throws. His first dunk came moments later off a full-court lob from Trae Young.
“I waited four games to play my official debut. Definitely had some butterflies coming in,” Dybantsa said. “But once I got those free throws, I was pretty much set.”
Dybantsa became just the seventh player since 1982 to lead his team in scoring in his NBA debut, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Paolo Banchero. His 19 points marked the most in a Wizards rookie debut since Tom Gugliotta’s 20 in 1992, according to Wizards PR.
