When Dylan Harper was picked second overall by the San Antonio Spurs, he knew that he would be tasked with helping re-grow the team into a winner.
The days of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili dominating on the court are long gone, and the Spurs are hoping to end their rebuild with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Harper leading the way.
Just because the "glory days" are behind the Spurs doesn't mean that the culture they built during their dynasty is gone.
For someone like Harper, who values family more than anything else, he knows he couldn't have landed in a better spot.
"I think this is probably the most winning organization," Harper said. "Culture-wise, it's great. Family aspect, just family-based, everyone's together. I mean, I just seen Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan just walking normally like it's nothing, so I mean, I think that just shows the family atmosphere and how everyone is truly united and together."
Harper attended Rutgers over schools like Kansas and Auburn just so he could stay closer to home. In the NBA Draft, he didn't have the luxury of choice, but seeing how legends like Pop, Duncan, and Ginobili have stayed in town even after retiring and are still active in the organization, he is sure that "family" comes first in Texas.
"Everyone in the building kind of feels equal, in a sense," he continued. "Ain't no one bigger than the next person. So just that and just seeing the legends, like, I just see Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, just randomly, without having to go out of my way to ask to see them. They're just here always to support the organization, so I mean, that just speaks to the culture."
While Duncan and Ginobili are no longer playing, they value team success and are always willing to lend an ear.
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