AJ Dybantsa becomes the first overall NBA Draft pick from Massachusetts since Patrick Ewing in 1985.
The Washington Wizards selected Brockton native AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday.
What happened?
Dybantsa was raised in Brockton and attended school in the city.
He went on to play at St. Sebastian's School in Needham for his freshman year of high school.
Why it matters for Patrick Ewing
Ewing was selected first in the 1985 draft by the New York Knicks out of Georgetown.
Ewing was born in Jamaica, but later moved to Massachusetts and went on to star at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
What comes next?
Dybantsa led the BYU team to the NCAA tournament and averaged 25.5 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds.
He thanked the teachers and coaches in Brockton who helped him get to this point.
The 19-year-old's journey started in Brockton at the Davis School, where students packed into their cafeteria Tuesday night to watch the draft.
"Oh my god it's so exciting," said Sarah St. George, Dybantsa's third grade teacher.
Dybantsa has always stayed connected with his roots.
After he signed with BYU and Nike, he used his platform to give back, including sneakers for the basketball teams and school supplies.
"I think it sets a good opportunity for kids so they know that they can strive to be anything and nothing is impossible," said Marilyn Normil of Brockton.
"He's tall, intelligent and very nice to other people," third grader Noah said.
Dybantsa shares a message that "no dream is too big" during his visits.
His hometown and his desire to inspire the next generation was the first thing he talked about in his post draft press conference on Tuesday night.
"You know, helping back in the community and just kind of giving kids hope," Dybantsa said.
"There are a lot of kids who play basketball out there and think they can't make it but once they see me, they are like OK they might have some hope," he added.