BOSTON — Ron Harper Jr. will get a chance to compete against his brother on the big stage, though it won’t be during a game. Instead, he’ll get do so as part of All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
Harper was named to the G League team of the Rising Stars event Monday, meaning he’ll play against the NBA rookies and sophomores. Harper’s brother, Dylan Harper, was selected as part of the rookie squad. Dylan Harper was picked No. 2 overall by the Spurs and he’s enjoying a solid start to his career.
“It’ll be a fun day,” Ron Harper Jr. said of the honor. “Me and Dylan, we’ll get to go at it. It’ll be a good little family affair.”
It’s the second straight season the C’s have a player as part of the G League team. Last year’s G League MVP, JD Davison, was picked as part of the squad. The G League team actually had a solid showing last year, advancing to the finals of the event.
Just like last season, the Rising Stars event will feature four teams and three games in a tournament-style format. The rookies and sophomores will be drafted into three teams with Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady picking the squads. Those three teams, plus the G League squad, will play against each other. The semifinal rounds will feature games played to a target score of 40 points, then the finals will be to a target score of 25 points.
Harper signed a two-way contract with the Celtics ahead of the season. He spent training camp with the C’s before the 2024-25 season, though he was plucked away by the Pistons on a two-way contract. Boston saw enough in him to not only bring him back but have him in a featured role with the Maine Celtics.
“It’s just trust,” C”s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I watch him work out when he’s with us. The other side of that is the professionalism. When he gets there early, he’s in the weight room doing what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s in the treatment room if he needs to be. He communicates at a high level. So there’s just a level of trust there.”
Harper is enjoying a stellar season in the G League, averaging 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game through all competitions. He’s also shooting 40.2% on his 10.9 3-point attempts per game.
The 25-year-old’s great season continues with this latest honor as a part of that. Harper even played some rotation minutes for the Celtics against the Nets last week. The C’s have had success developing their G League guys, so Harper could be part of the fold later on with the team.
“It’s encouraging,” Harper said. “But you kind of don’t really worry about that. I know the right eyes are watching. As long as I’m playing the right way and doing the right things in the eyes of those people, then I’ll be good.”