Ron Harper, a former teammate of Michael Jordan, is one proud father during the 2025-2026 NBA season as his son Dylan Harper impressed in his rookie season in the NBA.
Harper helped the San Antonio Spurs dethrone the 2025 NBA champions, the OKC Thunder, in the Western Conference Finals to reach the 2026 NBA Finals. Despite losing in the championship series against the New York Knicks in five games, Ron Harper is happy to see his son flourish with the Spurs.
“Dylan Harper is really my son,” Harper said in an interview with TMZ. “You know what, it’s really awesome and a great time to see him play. The experience that he has and seeing where he come from growing up and it’s like most of the time I sit at the game and be like, that’s my son. I’m like shocked.”
Dylan Harper’s NBA Finals Experience With Spurs Is A Gift
GettySAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JUNE 13: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles against the New York Knicks during the second quarter in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Harper also talked about how the NBA Finals experience with the Spurs would affect his son Dylan’s perspective about winning.
“It’s definitely a learning experience. They had a very young basketball team, a young head coaching staff,” Ron said. “Definitely a learning experience. I think that they achieved the goals that they had this past season and now the goal is a little bit higher now. So now it’s all about the expectations that they have and I’m pretty sure that they have pretty high expectations on this stuff.”
Harper put together a strong rookie campaign for the Spurs during the 2025-2026 NBA season, averaging 11.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 69 regular-season games off the bench, and later stepping up in a deep postseason run all the way to the NBA Finals.
Harper averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 23 playoff games, showing off elite poise against the playoff teams’ fiercest defense.
The 20-year-old Harper played as a backup for starting point guard De’Aaron Fox, who many fans believed underwhelmed during the playoffs.
Harper is expected to be a starter for the Spurs anytime soon, considering his performances in pressure-packed situations.
Ron Harper is not new to the NBA Finals, having won five NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ron Harper Wants His Son To Win More NBA Championships Than Him
Getty7 Jun 1996: Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bull, left, discusses strategy with teammates Ron Harper, center, and Scottie Pippen during a time-out on the court during the fourth quarter of game two in the NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago.
Ron Harper is a selfless dad and he wants his son to win more NBA titles than him.
“I want them to win more championships than me. That’s the goal I set. Win more than me,” he said during the NBA Finals press conference.
“After a while, they heard it so much that they wanted to be as good as me. And I always told them that I hoped they would strive to be better than me. Don’t be me, be better than what I was. Be great at it,” he added.
Dylan Harper is in a prime position to do so as he is playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, who is considered to be one of the best players of this generation.
For now, Harper must work on his game further for next season with the Spurs, a team with heftier expectations entering their 2026-2027 NBA campaign.
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