AJ Dybantsa is a big Kevin Durant fan.
When he announced his commitment to BYU on ESPN back in December, Dybantsa referred to Durant as “my favorite player (of) all time.”
A few days later, the pair of prolific swingmen linked up at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City as Durant’s Phoenix Suns played against the Utah Jazz.
But although Dybantsa respects Durant immensely, he still thinks he could beat the 30,000-point career scorer in a game of one-on-one. Sure, it may just be some playful smack talk, but perhaps the matchup will actually occur on the NBA hardwood in 2026.
Dybantsa and Durant sat down for a joint interview during NBA All Star Weekend back in February, and the interview was released earlier this week as part of the Nike Air Time show.
Durant told Dybantsa about his own experience as a highly-touted freshman in the Big 12 with the Texas Longhorns.
The conference may look different today in terms of its actual teams, but Durant said he feels that being a standout freshman in the Big 12 is still a meaningful tradition for Dybantsa to follow.
Passing on knowledge to the next generation 👏@NikeBasketball family KD and AJ Dybantsa talk college hoops and more on the newest edition of Air Time, Nike and NBA's grassroots to greatness hoops' platform. Watch the full episode now on NBA YouTube.
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2025
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“There’s a high standard for big name freshmen coming in the Big 12,” Durant said. “You’ve got to think about the dudes who came through there. Myself, (Michael) Beasley, Trae Young, Cade Cunningham, ...
