Ron Harper praises Dylan Harper after Spurs rookie breakout
Ron Harper told TMZ Sports he is amazed by son Dylan Harper’s rookie rise with the Spurs and says San Antonio’s next bar is higher.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Ron Harper’s Dylan Harper praise is coming straight from proud-dad territory after the San Antonio Spurs guard’s breakout rookie season, with the former Chicago Bulls star telling TMZ Sports he sometimes watches games in disbelief.
Speaking to TMZ Sports from a golf course, Ron said seeing Dylan’s rise has been “awesome” and called it a special stretch for the family. He said the moment has hit harder because he has watched Dylan grow from childhood into an NBA player now making his own name.
Ron told TMZ Sports that he has found himself sitting at games and thinking, “That’s my son.” He added that parents expect their children to be talented, but Dylan has gone beyond what he imagined.
“He’s showing me up right now,” Ron said, according to TMZ Sports.
What did Ron Harper say about Dylan Harper?
Ron told TMZ Sports he is surprised by how quickly Dylan has performed at a high level in the NBA. He described his son as an overachiever and said watching him play for San Antonio has left him amazed.
The compliment carries some weight in the Harper house. TMZ Sports noted that Ron is a five-time NBA champion and a former Chicago Bulls standout, so the bar for basketball success is not exactly sitting on the floor.
Dylan’s rookie year with the Spurs was framed by TMZ Sports as a breakout season, and Ron’s reaction made clear that the younger Harper has already forced his father to recalibrate expectations.
What did Ron Harper say about the Spurs?
Ron also looked at San Antonio’s season through a team lens. TMZ Sports reported that the Spurs fell short against the New York Knicks, but Ron said the season still gave the young group something to build on.
He called the NBA Finals a learning experience for San Antonio, pointing to both a young roster and a young coaching staff. According to TMZ Sports, Ron said the Spurs reached the goal they had set for the past season and now have to aim higher.
That is the next-step problem for a team that has announced itself early: opponents will prepare for them differently. Ron told TMZ Sports the Spurs now have to grow up quickly and understand that teams will be coming after them across the schedule.
“Everybody’s going to be trying to gun for them for 82 games now,” Ron said, according to TMZ Sports.
In NBA terms, 82 games refers to the regular-season grind, where every team gets repeated chances to test whether a young contender is ready for nightly pressure. Ron’s message was straightforward: Dylan and the Spurs have earned attention, and the next season brings a tougher kind of respect.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.