The sound signaled approval.
When the San Antonio Spurs selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the second pick of the NBA draft, fans roared at Frost Bank Plaza, site of the team’s draft watch party on Wednesday.
As Harper, 19, appeared on the 40-foot LED screen at the Rock at La Cantera, a large crowd cheered wildly, exchanged high-fives and shot fists skyward.
“It was a great pick,” said Jose Castillo, 28, who wore a Victor Wembanyama jersey. “He’s super explosive. I can’t wait to see him play.”
Just about everyone shared his sentiment.
“We’re definitely going to be improved from last year,” said Davin Koti, 23, who was dressed in a Manu Ginobili jersey. “I hope we can make the playoffs. If not the playoffs, then the play-ins.”
Spurs fans celebrate Dylan Harper’s selection in the 2025 NBA Draft at the Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report
The selection of Harper did not surprise. Virtually every draft analyst predicted the Spurs would pick him after the Dallas Mavericks took Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 selection. Local artist Nik Soupe was so confident he painted a mural of Harper at Rudy’s Seafood before the draft.
“I’m excited,” Harper said after the Spurs selected him. “When you play with a bunch of great players, they bring the best out of you. They have a great group, a young core over there. I’m ready to get in there and make an impact.”
Harper’s skill set excites Spurs fans. He is a 6-foot-6 left-handed combo guard who can slash to the rim, score, rebound and pass. Though not a gifted outside shooter, he averaged 19.4 points and four assists in his lone season at Rutgers.
“He’s fun to watch,” said former Spur Sean Elliott. “He sees the floor well. He does a lot of things really well. One thing I picked up on is, when he’s in transition, going down hill, he can change directions without changing speed. That’s a gift. The first player I thought did that really well was Jason Kidd.”
Cynthia Aguero and Edward Guillen celebrate the pick at the Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report
Like Kidd, a 10-time NBA All-Star and coach of the Mavericks, Harper attended a Catholic high school. At Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey, Harper averaged 23 points, led his team to the state title and was named MaxPreps National High School Player of the Year.
He is the son of Ron Harper Sr., a five-time NBA champion, who won three titles with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and two with the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers.
While he has NBA in his DNA, Harper grew up under the watch and coaching of his mother, Maria Harper, who played at the University of New Orleans. She coached him on the AAU circuit, traveled with him overseas to play with Team USA at the U19 Men’s World Cup and gave him instruction as a Don Bosco assistant coach.
Brianne Gonzalez celebrates with other Spurs fans at the Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report
“He’s not an in-your-face kind of ballplayer,” Maria told the New York Times. “He’s not soaring in and flushing it down. What makes him good is that he’s a Swiss Army knife. He sees the floor like an eagle. He knows how to get his teammates involved.”
Dylan’s older brother, Ron Harper Jr., starred at Rutgers and played with the Toronto Raptors and briefly with the Detroit Pistons before joining the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League.
Dylan’s parents divorced years ago.
Ron Sr. remains active in Dylan’s life and attends his games. But when college coaches called about his son, Ron Sr. referred them to Maria.
Local artist Nik Soupe painted a mural of Harper at Rudy’s Seafood before the draft. Credit: Ken Rodriguez / San Antonio Report
“Don’t get me wrong,” Ron Sr. told The Times. “I’m proud of him but I don’t want this to be about me.”
The Spurs drafted a teen who will fit into their culture of giving back. Dylan has volunteered in soup kitchens in New Jersey and New York, tutored students in math and participated in a winter coat distribution.
Two days before Christmas in 2024, Dylan joined his mother Maria, brother, Ron Jr., and sister, Mia Harper, at a gym in Paterson, New Jersey. The family gave away Nike coats and Rutgers gear to dozens of people.
Dylan also used some of his NIL money to gift his Rutgers basketball teammates with custom-made bomber jackets for the holidays.
Elliott is eager to see Dylan join a roster stocked with young talent, including the past two Rookies of the Year, Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
“He’s really polished for being such a young player,” Elliott said. “He has a really high basketball IQ. You can see it in his footwork, in his shot, in his court vision. He really knows how to play.”