Cooper Flagg may have gone No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, but someone generating nearly as much buzz is Dylan Harper. The 19-year-old followed Flagg as the No. 2 pick, landing with the San Antonio Spurs. Now, he’ll have the chance to show the world that his dominance at Rutgers was no fluke.
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Harper would not have been able to reach this pinnacle on his own. His mom, Maria Harper, played a huge role. Yes, he is the son of NBA great Ron Harper, but Maria was the one who coached him during his days at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. She’s no stranger to the game herself, having played Division I basketball and coached high school ball for decades.
Interestingly, Maria was invested in the entire team at Don Bosco, not just her son. This helped Dylan understand the value of team building and taught him even more. He saw that his mom was being a mom to everyone around him. And now that Dylan is in the NBA, Maria is on cloud nine. ESPNW captured a quote from the former college player reflecting on her son’s journey to becoming a member of the Spurs.
“It’s surreal. The NBA is a very, very exclusive club, and he’s worked so hard to get here. I’m just proud of him,” she said with a smile.
Per ESPNW, Dylan Harper’s Mom and her thoughts on him being drafted pic.twitter.com/d1M6GeVvV4
— BigRichMagic (@BigRichMagic) June 26, 2025
As much as Maria educated Dylan, his dad was a five-time NBA champion who played alongside legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, so hoops greatness runs deep in the family. Those instincts have clearly been passed down to the 19-year-old, who’s now joining a franchise with serious upside.
Dylan will get the chance to play alongside one of the NBA’s most exciting young superstars, Victor Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year and was a stat machine before his 2024–25 season was cut short due to a blood clot.
And that’s not all. He’ll also be joined by last year’s Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, and explosive guard De’Aaron Fox. If this fearsome foursome starts clicking, the Spurs could be on their way back to becoming the powerhouse franchise they were for decades under Gregg Popovich.
While it’s bittersweet that the NBA season has come to an end, the offseason is in full swing, and tonight’s draft only fuels the excitement for next year, especially with a young, electric prospect like Harper entering the league.
