Rutgers star Dylan Harper took a big step in his basketball career on Wednesday night when he was selected second in the 2025 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. He will be joining one of the best young stars in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama, on a team that should be coming out of a rebuild next season.
After Harper was drafted, he quickly shared an embrace with his mother, Maria Harper. She quickly got a lot of attention on social media because of her black outfit.
Dylan Harper’s mother is going viral pic.twitter.com/5tFHkik9lE
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) June 26, 2025
According to New York Post, Maria Harper is of Filipino descent. She reportedly emigrated from the Philippines to the United States at an age of 7 and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey.
Maria met former NBA player Ron Harper in 1998. The couple then welcomed their first son, Ron Harper Jr, in April 2000. Harper Jr. is a member of the Detroit Pistons organization. However, he primarily plays in the G-League.
The couple got married on New Year’s Eve in 2005, according to People, and in March 2006, Dylan Harper was born. They had their third and final child, Mia, in 2010. However, the couple got divorced in 2012.
Dylan Harper’s Mom Explains What 19-year-old Did to Get Drafted
After Dylan Harper was selected by the Spurs, he was interviewed on the draft floor. After he finished talking, Maria Harper was asked what got Dylan to this point.
“His flat out love for the game,” Maria Harper said. “His determination. His humility and just his hard work, day in and day out.”
The biggest winner of the #NBADraft so far: Maria Harper (Dylan’s mom) 👀
— ✰ 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟 ✰ (@itsJustinRitch) June 26, 2025
Dylan Harper played one college season at Rutgers before declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. He averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Harper was not the only Rutgers star to be drafted early in the first round. His former teammate, Ace Bailey, was selected a few picks after him. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the fifth pick in the draft. Both players are expected to have an impact in their rookie seasons.
Dylan Harper is heading into a good situation in San Antonio. The Spurs already have the foundational piece of their rebuild, Victor Wembanyama, and traded for an established star in De’Aaron Fox this past season. As a result, Harper will not be expected to take on a bigger role than he is capable of as a rookie if he needs more time to develop.
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