Dylan Harper was the No 2 pick on NBA Draft night in New York but his mom immediately stole the show after he was picked by the San Antonio Spurs.
Harper and his mother, Maria Pizarro, shared their emotions on camera with ESPN just after the 19-year-old Rutgers athlete was selected to join Victor Wembanyama in Texas.
‘His pure passion for the sport, relentless effort, dedication, and humility, every single day,’ Maria explained, clearly emotional, when discussing her son’s journey to the NBA.
But her brief appearance on television sent thousands of basketball fans into meltdown on social media.
‘Dylan Harper’s mom is top notch,’ one viewer fawned on X, while another wrote: ‘Dylan Harper’s mom is about to go viral man.’
A different fan said: ‘Respectfully Dylan Harper’s mom is an absolute smoke show.’
Fans went wild for Dylan Harper’s mom Maria at the NBA Draft in New York on Wednesday
She was very much the proud mom as Harper spoke about playing for San Antonio Spurs
Despite Harper being the son of Ron Harper, a former LA Lakers player and five-time NBA champion, and sibling to Detroit Pistons player Ron Harper Jr, it is his mother who has significantly impacted his ascent to the NBA.
Maria was her son’s basketball coach when he was a kid and was a division one player herself during her time at the University of New Orleans.
Pizarro, 50, and Ron are no longer together, divorcing in 2012 after seven years of marriage and three kids – Dylan also has a sister.
Speaking to The Athletic in 2023, Maria’s influence over Dylan was made very clear.
‘I’m not big on girlfriends or house parties,’ she said. ‘We get up, we go to school, we have our activity, whether it’s basketball or it’s dance, we get our homework done, and that’s about it. That’s the tone that I set in the household.
She said of her son’s skillset: ‘What makes him good is that he’s a Swiss army knife. He sees the floor like an eagle. He knows how to get his teammates involved.
‘He’s a very capable scorer if you need him to be, but because he has a point guard mentality, he wants his teammates to succeed, even before himself.’
Speaking of his mother’s influence in an interview with Swish Cultures in late 2024, he said: ‘She’s really been there from the jump.
Harper hugs his father, five-time NBA Champion Ron, after the Spurs picked him at No 2
Maria was a coach for Dylan as a kid, all the way through to high school level
Maria pictured with her ex-husband Ron – they split in 2012 after a seven-year marriage
‘She was my first ever coach and up to high school, my assistant coach. She does everything for me. She’s always a provider, no matter what, hard times, good times, she’s been there for me through thick and thin.’
Maria was born in the Phillippines, moving to the United States when she was just seven years old.
Dylan’s famous father didn’t speak to the television cameras but was there to see his son picked by San Antonio and looked emotional in the moments after his name was read out.
Harper will soon join up with Wembanyama and his new team after what was a difficult season for the Spurs.
They finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 34-48 record. Their legendary coach Gregg Popovich was forced to step aside after having a stroke midway through the season.
Mitch Johnson took over from Popovich and can now look to usher in a new era with another hugely promising draft pick after landing Wembanyama in June 2023.
