AJ Dybantsa and Ja Morant (Source: Getty)

"Cringe": Hoops fans react as AJ Dybantsa hits the Ja Morant celly in his last high school game

Modified Apr 20, 2025 21:17 GMT

AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 prospect from the 2025 class and a BYU Cougars signee, put up a great performance in his final game as a high school basketball star. Representing Team Flight in the Jordan Brand Classic on Saturday, the $3.8 million NIL-valued star, according to On3, tallied 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Despite Team Flight 141-124 loss to Team Air, Dybantsa's celebration became a topic of discussion.

The Utah Prep small forward replicated the Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant's grenade celebration. Sportscenternext's Instagram handle posted the moment from the game with the caption,

"Pulled out Ja’s new celly 😅 AJ Dybantsa showing out at the Jordan Brand Classic in DC 😈🔥"

"AJ Dybantsa celly game strong," the text on the clip read.

Fans flocked to the comment section to share their opinion on Ja Morant's celly.

"Cringe," one comment read.

More joined in with the same emotion, with comments like,

"Holy Cringe"

and

"Corny"

Some fans pointed out a major error in Dybantsa's celebration.

"Bro ran where he threw the grenade to 😂🤦🏾‍♂️," one fan pointed out.

"Boy ran into the 💣🤨🤦🏾‍♂️," another user added.

One fan countered all the criticism Dybantsa received for his celebration.

"Yall will find any reason to hate he just showing self love," the hoops fan said.

AJ Dybantsa got help from Darius Acuff, who scored 22 points and Thomas, who scored 16 points, but Team Air's balanced attack, led by Caleb Wilson and MVP Kiyan Anthony, proved too much.

AJ Dybantsa Reflects on His High School Career Ahead of Season With BYU Cougars

AJ Dybantsa will soon be teaming up with the likes of Xavion Staton and Chamberlain Burgress at BYU. Ahead of his final high school game, the youngster talked about his key moments and lessons from his high school basketball career. He revealed the funniest comment he ever saw on social media,

"When I was in eighth grade playing varsity, I had like 23 against IMG, and they were like, 'He got wife and kids at the crib," Dybantsa said.

Dybantsa also talked about his biggest life lesson, saying,

"Being grateful, I mean I've been to China for basketball, I've been to Hawaii, I've been to Jamaica, I've been to so many places. Just being grateful for the opportunity."

Dybantsa aims to carry his form when he suits up for the Cougars in the upcoming season. He has won hearts playing at the high school level, and he would fancy gaining fans doing the same as he steps closer to his NBA debut.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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