Dylan Harper, the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has his mother to thank for his rise to the big leagues.
Filipino-American point guard Dylan Harper has been hailed as one of the most promising young NBA prospects since he impressed as a player at Rutgers — a reputation confirmed as he was selected as the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Picked up San Antonio Spurs, Harper has basketball in his blood; not only is his dad the five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper, but his mother is also a hooper herself, and the 19-year-old credits a large portion of his blossoming career to her dedication to his career.
“Man, she means the world to me,” Harper expressed in the press conference after the 2025 NBA Draft ceremony. “She’s been coaching me from like first grade all the way to senior year of high school. For her to see this moment and just to be there for my journey and see all the good and all the bad, it probably means the world to her just as much as me.”
Dylan’s mother, Maria Harper, is a Filipino who moved to the United States from Bataan, Philippines, at the young age of 7, and she grew up as a basketball player, too. In fact, she was a Division I player who represented the University of New Orleans in the 1990s — yes, she was a serious hooper.
In a previous interview with The Athletic, Maria revealed more about her playing style: “I defended the hell out of the ball. I created offense through defense. I wasn’t a knockdown shooter. I looked to get my teammates involved. And I just loved it so much.”
But her love for basketball did not stop after she graduated. After her college stint, Maria continued in the sport through coaching; she is even the assistant coach of the boys’ basketball team at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, the same school where Dylan and his older brother, Ron Jr., studied.
Maria previously expressed that she has always been passionate about basketball and that coaching was a “natural progression” for her. Thus, it was only natural for her to become Dylan’s first coach, which he revealed in a 2024 interview with Swish Cultures.
With this, the Filipina mother has been involved in Dylan’s journey to the NBA from the very beginning in a very hands-on way.
“I love my mom. Everything I do is definitely for her,” Dylan expressed.
Their connection was palpable on Draft night — but it wasn’t just Dylan who was gushing over his mother. Social media has also been fawning over Maria, who made an interview appearance during the ceremony.
Dylan Harper mom about to gain a million new followers on Instagram. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/c8JBsQ6l7w
— Chris| Sports Fanatic (@SportsWinn) June 26, 2025
Naturally, Maria had only the kindest of words to say about her son. Listing reasons for Dylan’s rise to the NBA, she shared, “His flat-out love for the game, his determination, his humility, and just his hard work day in and day out.”
Now poised for the NBA, selected by the San Antonio Spurs, Dylan now becomes another Filipino-American in the league whom fellow Filipinos can look up to — and this means as much to him as it does to the Philippines’ basketball community.
“I mean, it definitely is surreal just because my mom’s family history, mom’s family background, and all the efforts that her family put into me,” he shared.
“Just me wanting to rep them and wanting to be out there and show my colors and show truly who I am. So it’s definitely great.”
Banner images from AFP.