Dylan Harper, son of legendary former NBA star Ron Harper, is set to follow the big footsteps of his dad and carry with him the Pinoy pride once he steps on the court competing in the big league.
The Filipino-American guard out of Rutgers University, was selected second overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in this year’s NBA Rookie Draft, behind top overall selection Cooper Flagg, a standout from the Duke Blue Devils, who was the hands down choice of the Dallas Mavericks.
Dylan is the son of Ron from her mother, Maria, who hails from Bataan, making him the latest Fil-American player to get selected in the Draft.
The 6-foot-6 guard played for Rutgers where he posted impressive numbers of 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists per game in the 2024-2025 season while seeing action in the Big Ten Tournament.
Should he play his first game in the NBA, the younger Harper will join an elite list of Fil-Am players to see action in the NBA like Raymond Townsend, Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green.
Andray Blatche, who played nine seasons, can also be considered in the list, having been naturalized prior to Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
But more than taking pride of bringing his Filipino roots in the NBA, Harper will also have to deal with the pressure of living up to the family’s legacy.
Ron throws a big shadow on his son, being a five-time NBA champion while playing for the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
But the 19-year-old guard also has something to prove when he joins an illustrious ball club that won five championships in the NBA, but is currently on a rebuilding stage.
Gregg Popovich, the man behind the success of the Spurs, stepped down as head coach of the Spurs after 29 seasons and his successor , Mitch Johnson is likely to continue the blue print created by his long-time mentor.
Harper will join the Spurs’ rebuilding phase along with Victor Wenbamyama, the 2023 top overall pick, and Johnson, who will have his first full season as coach.
Photo from Dylan Harper’s Instagram.
