Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is embracing the San Antonio Spurs' winning culture and mentorship from legends like Popovich, Duncan, and Ginobili. He’s aiming to contribute immediately and carry his family’s basketball legacy forward.
Credit: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Before Dylan Harper ever suited up for the San Antonio Spurs, before he stepped onto an NBA floor or even met his new teammates, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft had an unforgettable “welcome to the league” moment.
2-pointers this season
San Antonio Spurs
NBA
It didn’t come from a game or a press conference—it came from turning around and unexpectedly locking eyes with two NBA legends: Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan.
It happened during Harper’s pre-draft workout at the Spurs’ Victory Capital Performance Center. He was already absorbing the atmosphere of a franchise known for its championship pedigree—five banners hung high above the court, each one a reminder of a culture built on excellence. But then things turned surreal.
“I turn around and in the corner of my eye I just saw them walking by,” Harper told Andscape's Marc Spears.
“So, you know I had to go dap them up and take the video. It caught me off guard. I was like, ‘What are they doing here?’”
To Harper’s surprise, he quickly learned they weren’t just passing through.
“They’re here all the time,” he said. “And so when people talk about the Spurs’ organization and their culture, that’s really what culture is.”
For a 19-year-old barely days into his NBA journey, the encounter was both a shock and a revelation. Harper had grown up watching old footage of Duncan’s fundamentals and hearing about Popovich’s tactical genius. Meeting both men in such a casual setting—not at a press conference or Hall of Fame event, but at the practice gym—instantly crystallized the kind of environment he was entering.
“I met Pop the first day I was there—and Tim. Pop was there getting treatment and doing exercises,” Harper recalled. “That is not regular in any NBA gym. You don’t just see a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame player walking around like it’s normal. But here, it is.”
Culture in Motion
Dylan Harper
Dylan Harper
Position: SG
Age: 19
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 98 kg
Birth place: United States of America
In San Antonio, culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s daily practice. From veterans to rookies, legends to trainers, the entire organization operates like a family. Harper, who played his college ball at Rutgers and has lived his entire life in New Jersey, immediately felt the difference.
“They care for everyone whether you’re in the G League, on a two-way, or the star player. It doesn’t matter,” Harper said. “Everyone gets the same treatment. With the culture and family atmosphere they have, you have to work hard every day. We are going to do everything together.”
And Harper isn’t taking that environment for granted.
He enters the league with a rare opportunity: to learn from the very best while playing in a backcourt rotation that includes De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and mentorship from Manu Ginobili, who works with the team as a special advisor. Harper says Ginobili has been one of his biggest mentors already, and that he’s been “hanging out with him every day” since arriving.
“I just pick his brain—on the game, how he adjusted from FIBA, what kept him locked in as a pro,” Harper said. “Just the little things every NBA player goes through.”
The Moment That Shifted Everything
That initial encounter with Popovich and Duncan didn’t just excite Harper—it served as a mental turning point. The moment made the dreams real. He wasn’t just drafted into the NBA. He was now part of one of the most respected organizations in sports history, with a chance to shape its future.
“That’s the kind of environment you want to be in,” he said. “I knew right then and there—this is where I belong.”
Harper said he hopes to become a sponge this year—soaking up wisdom from everyone around him, from Wembanyama to Castle to Fox. But he also hopes to add his own mark, especially through the energy and competitiveness he brings.
“I’m not going to be perfect, but I just want to learn every day. I’m new, I’m going to be that guy with full energy, running around the gym,” he said. “As I’m getting better every day, that would be a pretty successful rookie year.”
Looking Ahead
Though a groin injury sidelined Harper during the Spurs' California Classic games, he’s expected to make his Summer League debut Thursday night against VJ Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s also slated to play against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks in a must-watch matchup on Saturday.
As he adjusts to life away from New Jersey and settles into San Antonio, Harper is already building a routine. “It’s a different environment. But change is good to a certain extent,” he said. “And if I’m moving cities, I’m moving cities without thinking. I’m playing in the NBA—ain’t no better change than that.”
But ask him what has stood out most in this whirlwind transition, and it all goes back to that day at the practice facility.
“When you see Pop and Tim just walking around the gym—just part of the daily routine—it hits you. That’s what being part of a real basketball culture looks like. That’s the standard. And I’m ready to meet it.”
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