"He showed AJ what to do": Hoops fans ignite debate between AJ Dybantsa vs. former NBA top pick on who nailed the under-both-legs dunk

By Rotsen Rick Tidoy

Modified Dec 22, 2024 17:24 GMT

Follow Us

Share

0 Discuss

During last Friday's game against Iolani in Hawaii, AJ Dybantsa wowed many people with an under-both-legs dunk in that dominating 84-30 victory over the host school. However, that dunk had been done before by Jimma Gatwech, who was regarded as one of the best dunkers in high school basketball and could have played in the NBA.

'Ballislife' asked who did the in-game under-both-legs dunk better, and this led to a debate among fans. While some said it was Dybantsa, others said it was Gatwech.

"Jimma, because he showed AJ what to do…," one fan noted.

"Both are impressive. But #1, how he leaned toward the rim while taking the ball under his legs. #Nasty," another fan said, referring to Gatwech's dunk.

"Jimma clears 🔥>>> Steal&Dunk🔥👏," another fan commented.

However, others were saying that Dybantsa did it better. While the argument was on who had the better dunk, some were pointing out that Dybantsa is the No. 1 ranked overall of his class, while Gatwech fell off.

"The fact that its AJ, just makes his better," one commenter said.

"Where is Jimma now??" another commenter asked.

"Aj cuz ge made it look easy😂," another Instagram user added.

Fans debate if AJ Dybantsa or Jimma Gatwech dunked better (Source: Instagram/@ballislife)

Gatwech was an unstarred shooting guard for Huntington Expression Prep and was from the class of 2020. He was considered one of the best high school dunkers of all time but had three Division 1 offers. However, he skipped college to prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft, where he would go undrafted for two years in a row and was cut from the G-League after playing just one game.

AJ Dybantsa and Utah Prep survive Brewster to be crowned the 2024 Iolani Classic champion

AJ Dybantsa and the Utah Prep Athletes made it to the final of the Iolani Classic in Hawaii. The team faced Brewster on Sunday and barely survived the game, which came down to the wire, 45-43.

Dybantsa had 23 points in that thriller, leading Utah Prep to the title. He was named to the All-Tournament team alongside teammate JJ Mandaquit, who originally played for Iolani, which Utah Prep defeated in the quarterfinals.

After graduating, Dybantsa is expected to play for BYU for at least one year. He is then expected to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, as he would only be eligible to play for the NBA that year.