AJ Dybansta Debuts New Nike Logo Ahead of NBA Draft

When you’re a consensus number one pick in any sport, the pressure can be overwhelming, but for AJ Dybansta, that only fuels his game. The BYU standout declared for the NBA draft after one season with the program, and he’s expected to go first overall when the league selects the next batch of rookies in June. Throughout his college days, and even at the tail end of his high school career, AJ has been rocking with Nike, who signed him to an NIL deal during his senior year. There were rumors that he was shopping around for a new contract with another brand, but those can be quelled as Nike has officially unveiled Dybansta's new logo.

In an interview with Aaron Dodson for Nike’s online magazine, AJ detailed his history with the brand, his long-time dream of becoming an NBA star, and potentially, his own signature sneaker down the line.

Aaron asked AJ about his NIL deal with Nike, with Dybansta telling him, “I hadn’t ever considered the possibility of joining the brand that early. All I could think was, ‘My favorite players are signed with Nike: KD, LeBron.’ It’s one of the best sports marketing brands — ever. So, I immediately said, ‘We gotta go with Nike.”

AJ also spoke on him becoming the face of the G.T. Future, “When Nike first brought me the G.T. Future, I said, ‘I can be the face of this shoe.’ Everybody thinks I’m the future — and I think I’m the future. So it makes sense that I debuted the G.T. Future.”

However, the most important part of this interview was not AJ detailing his Spider-Man GT Cut 1 PE or reminiscing on being able to play a different Nike Basketball shoe every time he stepped on the floor for BYU, but the debut of his new signature logo.

Previously, AJ’s PEs featured his initials in a stylized design. The new design is inspired by the metaphor of pressure creating diamonds. As AJ puts it, “I’ve always dealt with pressure ever since I was younger. In creating my new logo, Nike and I liked the metaphor of pressure forming diamonds and at the same time forming a star with my initials."

In the interview, Dodson asked AJ if he dreamed of getting his own sneaker. His response? “A signature shoe is the goal. When I signed with Nike, I started thinking it would be cool to get my own shoe. Because Nike would always send me different Kobes or Jas or KDs. So it was like, ‘I’m wearing all these other players’ shoes — what if I could get my own and other players wore mine?’”

For now, we’ll have to wait and see how AJ’s career pans out in his rookie year, but during his freshman campaign, expect to see him lace up PEs using his new signature logo. For updates on the latest happenings in the sneaker world, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts, catching the latest movies, and trying new food. For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com