Knowing every single fact about the NBA’s glorious history isn’t a realistic expectation, even from a second-generation NBA star like Dylan Harper, who was the No. 2 pick in this year’s Draft. That said, he was asked a question about Michael Jordan that most players, regardless of the era they’ve played in, should know. Harper, sadly, failed.
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Harper’s dad, Ron, was a five-time NBA champion and a former Chicago Bulls teammate of Jordan. Ron won three titles with “His Airness,” which makes it almost certain that the legendary baller was at least a topic of discussion in the Harper household growing up. So, one would expect his son to have some basic idea of Jordan’s history. But that didn’t seem to be the case.
In a lighthearted Slam trivia segment, Dylan — who will play for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2025/26 season — got stumped. He was asked a pretty basic question: What pick was Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft? The young guard froze.
“Ohh, this is bad if I don’t get this one,” Harper said, clearly rattled. He eventually guessed the No. 2 pick, which was the wrong answer, and he knew it. Jordan, in reality, was selected No. 3 overall, after Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Harper’s mistake quickly became the punchline. The player his dad won championships with? The greatest Bulls player of all time? Yep, he blanked.
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But to be fair (or rather kind) to Dylan, it’s understandable why youngsters today might be confused about Jordan’s draft position. They grow up hearing he’s the GOAT, so naturally, you’d think he was the No. 1 pick in 1984. But it was Olajuwon who went first. The NBA landscape was very different back then. Teams prioritized size and physicality over wing scoring, or flashy guards and centers ruled the league.
The Houston Rockets took Olajuwon with the first pick. The Portland Trail Blazers picked Sam Bowie next, despite already having Clyde Drexler. Rod Thorn, the Bulls’ GM at the time, didn’t even want to keep the No. 3 pick. “There just wasn’t a center available,” Thorn famously said after the draft. “Jordan isn’t going to turn this franchise around.”
Thorn’s claim, however, aged like milk. Jordan changed the entire sport of basketball for the better and delivered six championships to the city of Chicago. To many, MJ remains the greatest basketball player to ever. Dylan’s dad, Ron, joined him on the Bulls in 1994 and was part of their second three-peat team from 1996 to 1998.
Dylan was born in 2006. He never saw his father — who retired in 2001 — play live, let alone Jordan. So while some fans dragged him online, it’s important to give him a little grace. On top of that, none of the other draftees from the 2025 class, who were asked the same question, could answer correctly. When told the correct answer, Dylan burst out laughing in embarrassment. “My dad is gonna kill me. I knew it was three,” he laughed.
Trivia isn’t always easy under pressure. And Dylan probably knows where LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant were drafted since they are much closer to his era. What matters most is that Dylan knows how to hoop. The Spurs didn’t draft him for NBA history trivia. They need his playmaking, shooting, and leadership next season, not his draft order knowledge.
