North Jersey’s first family of basketball, the Harpers, took center stage early in the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25.
Dylan Harper, 19, who starred for four years at Don Bosco and was a standout his freshman season at Rutgers, was selected with the No. 2 pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
Harper, dressed all in black, hugged his mom and several family members before heading to the stage at the Barclays Center in New York for a hug, handshake and photo op with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“I’m feeling everything, man,” Harper said after being asked how he felt. “All the emotion mixed in one bucket. From crying, to laughing, to being happy, everything. I’m just feeling everything. I’m excited to get ready. I’m excited.”
The 6-foot-5 Harper is the most highly regarded player ever to come out of the Bergen/Passaic county area. He follows the path to the NBA traveled by his dad, Ron, and older brother, Ron Jr., who also starred at Don Bosco and Rutgers.
“He worked so hard for this, and we’ve been with him every step of the journey,” said Ron Jr., 25, who just completed his third pro season and first with the Detroit Pistons. “And now I’ve got to be a secondary Spurs fan.”
Their dad, Ron, also at Barclays Center, played 15 seasons (1986-2001) in the NBA and won five championships. He grew up in Ohio, was chosen with the eighth pick in the 1986 Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
Maria Harper grew up in North Jersey, in Paterson, and is a longtime basketball coach. She is a veteran assistant at Don Bosco and was on the sideline as Dylan captured Bergen County Jamboree and NJSIAA Non-Public A state titles.
Asked what drove Dylan to become a No. 2 pick, Maria said: “His flat-out love for the game, his determination, his humility, and just his hard work, day in, day out.”
“Being there and seeing that was really a special moment for the Harpers,” said Don Bosco’s longtime coach, Kevin Diverio, who was at Barclays Center. “It sheds a lot of positivity on the Don Bosco program and the school, and beyond that the county and North Jersey.”
Harper’s freshman year at Rutgers confirmed his name would be called in the opening minutes of this NBA Draft. The left-handed guard became the Scarlet Knights’ highest draft pick after averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals. His 564 points is the most by a Rutgers’ freshman.
Jay Bilas, the longtime ESPN analyst, labeled Harper, “The real deal,” the “best pick-and-roll guard in this draft,” and “a three-level scorer with tremendous body control, a terrific finisher at the rim through contact.”
Bilas said Harper is the only major-conference player in the last 20 years to score 35 or more points in back-to-back games, doing it in November with 36 against Notre Dame and 37 against Alabama.
“He’s really good in transition, he’s just a polished offensive player with really good footwork,” Bilas said. “But when he gets into any screen/roll situation, he attacks the secondary defender and even goes after the tertiary defender and gets all the way to the rim. He can finish with his right or left hand, he gets fouled, and he gets to the foul line. He plays with pace, he’s patient, and he makes really good reads. He gets an advantage, and then he keeps it and takes advantage of it. He’s an excellent playmaker once he gets into the lane.”
Harper, a Franklin Lakes resident, is only the second player to graduate from a Bergen or Passaic county high school and be a top-10 NBA pick. He joins Tim Thomas, a 1996 Paterson Catholic graduate who, after his freshman year at Villanova, was chosen with the seventh pick in the 1997 Draft by the New Jersey Nets. Thomas played 13 NBA seasons.
“Just being able to chase your dreams, and in his case follow his dad’s footsteps and his brother’s footsteps, and reaching the ultimate goal of becoming the one percent of guys that are actually playing the sport, to reach the highest level, it’s obviously a dream come true,” said Thomas, who is the coach at Paramus Catholic and faced Harper.
“And in Maria’s case, and in Ron’s case, to be able to do it twice, it’s just as nice. And it’s a thrill and an honor to be able to work so hard and then be able to reach your goals.”
North Jersey has seen at least 10 graduates reach the NBA over the past 50 years, and four of them played in at least one NBA game this past season.
“The experience alone is going to be second to none,” said Thomas, who played for six teams from 1997-2010, including two stints with the Knicks. “I always tell kids to enjoy the experience, because it goes by so fast. It may seem like a long time, but in actuality it really goes by fast. Every process is different and just ride the waves. There’s going to be some highs, some lows, but overall it’s one of the best jobs in the world and one of the best fraternities.”
“I’m excited to be able to watch him in the future and see what he’s able to do,” Thomas added. “And I know he’s going to have a great career, because he’s so talented and it’s a sports basketball family. So he has a lot of support with his mom and dad and his brother, and also with outside people willing to share some experiences and give him some advice.”
Harper is excited about heading to Texas. San Antonio was 34-48 last year and is home to the last two NBA Rookie of the Year winners. Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 center, won for 2023-24, and 6-6 guard Stephon Castle won this past season.
“I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you,” Harper said. “They’re got a great group, a great young core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.”