Dylan Harper joins San Antonio Spurs, honors Filipina mom
Dylan Harper honors his mom, Maria Harper (2nd from left). Screencap/NBA/YouTube
Basketball isn’t just a game for the Harpers, it’s family tradition. And with Dylan Harper’s selection as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, that legacy takes its next leap.
Donning a Spurs cap with pride, the Filipino American guard out of Rutgers made his NBA dream a reality as he joined a rising San Antonio squad that includes phenom Victor Wembanyama and All-Star De’Aaron Fox. His message to fans? “Spurs nation lets do it mannnnn.”
You may like: 2025 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs add Dylan Harper at No. 2
The night wasn’t just about stepping into the league as Dylan honored the people who laid the foundation. For the Fil-Am hooper, that began at home.
Dylan’s mom: Maria Harper
“This is for her,” he said about his mother, Maria Harper. “She means the world to me. She even coached me from first grade all the way to senior high school. I love my mom. Everything I do is definitely for her.”
Maria didn’t just guide her son from the sidelines. She was once on the court herself, cutting through defenses as a Division I basketball player for the University of New Orleans from 1993 to 1996.
“She saw the game in me early,” Dylan said. “She pushed me, believed in me, and stayed with me every step.”
For Maria, the formula behind Dylan’s success has always been simple: “His flat-out love for the game. His determination, his humility and his hard work day in and day out.”
Of course, basketball lineage doesn’t stop there. Dylan’s father is five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, whose veteran presence anchored multiple title runs with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. His older brother, Ron Harper Jr., also made “hoops” at Rutgers and is currently signed with the Detroit Pistons organization.
Ron Jr. gave his younger sibling a simple piece of advice ahead of draft night, saying, “enjoy the moment.” And while team loyalties may clash, he promised he’d always “have some love” for the Spurs, well for his brother’s sake.
But it’s Dylan, with championship pedigree, a mother’s mentorship and a deep love for the game in his DNA, who now carries the torch forward.
After all, when basketball runs in your blood, it becomes destiny.
