The 2025 NBA Draft saw highly touted prospect Dylan Harper selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, a moment marking the culmination of years of hard work. While Dylan took center stage, his mother, Maria Harper, unexpectedly captured the spotlight, going viral on social media during the event.
Maria Harper, who joined Dylan and his older brother, Ron Jr., on stage for a post-selection interview with ESPN, immediately garnered significant attention. Viewers on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) reacted strongly to her appearance, flooding feeds with comments praising her look and presence. Phrases like “stunning,” “beautiful,” and “smoke show” were widely used, with some fans joking that she nearly “stole the show” or was the “star” of draft night.
While her viral moment highlighted her presence, Maria Harper’s connection to Dylan’s basketball journey runs deep. A former Division 1 basketball player herself, she played at the University of New Orleans from 1993 to 1996. More significantly, Dylan has openly credited his mother as the primary architect of his basketball career, revealing that she coached him consistently from first grade through his senior year of high school. This long-term coaching relationship, even more influential than that with his father, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. (who was also in attendance), was described by Dylan as uniquely special.
Maria herself has emphasized that basketball is a “family affair” in their household, fueled by a shared passion for the sport. Speaking about Dylan’s draft night achievement, she described the experience as “surreal,” acknowledging the NBA as a “very, very exclusive club.” She expressed immense pride in her son’s dedication, hard work, humility, and his “flat out love for the game,” highlighting these qualities as key factors in his journey to the NBA.
Dylan, who played one season at Rutgers before declaring for the draft, shared that he was “feeling EVERYTHING” on draft night, from crying to laughing. He arrives in San Antonio ready to join a promising young core alongside former No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, with Wembanyama already expressing enthusiasm about working together.
Beyond her coaching, Maria instilled a disciplined approach in the family household, prioritizing schoolwork and structured activities like basketball. Dylan has often referenced his mother’s impactful advice, particularly her mantra, “Keep the main thing the main thing,” which helped him focus solely on basketball development while she handled other aspects of life.
Born in the Philippines, Maria immigrated to the U.S. at age 7 and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. She met Ron Harper Sr. in 1998, and they had two sons, Ron Jr. and Dylan, before divorcing in 2012. Despite the family’s strong basketball lineage through his NBA champion father, it is Maria Harper’s coaching, guidance, and recent viral moment that have underscored her profound influence on Dylan’s path to becoming a top NBA draft pick.
