It was an enormous evening for Dylan Harper on Wednesday (June 25) because the No. 2 choose of the NBA Draft, nevertheless it was maybe a good greater evening for his mother, Maria Pizarro, who stole the present with an look on ESPN.
Pizarro joined her son to talk to the ESPN cameras simply moments after the 19-year-old Rutgers Scarlet Knights alum was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. “His flat-out love for the sport, his willpower, onerous work and humility, day in and day trip,” an emotional Pizarro instructed ESPN about what led to her son making it to the NBA.
Viewers shortly flooded social media with feedback about Harper’s mother, with many calling her a “smoke present” and saying she was “the star” of the complete draft.
“Dylan Harper a high 3 NBA draft choose and his mom appear to be this. God gave this household 99 potential,” wrote one X consumer.
“I’m feeling EVERYTHING… from crying, to laughing, to being pleased”
– Dylan Harper, latest San Antonio Spur 👏 pic.twitter.com/BBtk9b7EPa
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
“The most important winner of the #NBADraft to date: Maria Harper (Dylan’s mother),” mentioned one other.
“Dylan Harper mother!????? Yeah run that. She’s so lovely,” one other added.
One other acknowledged, “Dylan Harper mother about to realize one million new followers on Instagram. #NBADraft.”
NBA TWITTER BREAKING OVER DYLAN HARPER MOM 😭#NBADraft2025 pic.twitter.com/LCI3lNWXBr
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) June 26, 2025
“Let Dylan Harper’s mother announce the remainder of the picks,” quipped one fan.
“Dylan Harper’s mother is a baddddieeeee,” mentioned one other.
“Star of the draft in addition to Cooper Flagg is Dylan Harper’s momma,” one commenter wrote.
Dylan Harper mother about to realize one million new followers on Instagram. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/c8JBsQ6l7w
— Chris| Sports activities Fanatic (@SportsWinn) June 26, 2025
“Respectfully Dylan Harper’s mother is an absolute smoke present,” one other added.
Pizarro additionally spoke to ESPN’s social media channels later within the night the place she shared her ideas on Harper being the No. 2 draft choose. “It’s surreal,” she mentioned. “The NBA is a really unique membership and he’s labored so onerous to get right here. I’m simply so pleased with him.”
Per ESPNW, Dylan Harper’s Mother and her ideas on him being drafted pic.twitter.com/d1M6GeVvV4
— BigRichMagic (@BigRichMagic) June 26, 2025
Harper is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, who was within the crowd on Wednesday evening. Nonetheless, the most recent Spurs recruit mentioned his mom was who actually pushed him in basketball, serving as his coach from first grade to his senior 12 months of highschool.
Pizarro spoke about Harper’s coaching in a 2023 interview with New York Instances, saying, “I’m not large on girlfriends or home events. We rise up, we go to highschool, we now have our exercise, whether or not it’s basketball or it’s dance, we get our homework carried out, and that’s about it. That’s the tone that I set within the family.”
She added, “What makes him good is that he’s a Swiss military knife. He sees the ground like an eagle. He is aware of learn how to get his teammates concerned. He’s a really succesful scorer in case you want him to be, however as a result of he has a degree guard mentality, he desires his teammates to succeed, even earlier than himself.”
Pizarro and Ron met in 1998 and welcomed their first little one, Ron Jr., in 2000. They tied the knot in 2005 and welcomed their second little one, Dylan, in 2006. The previous couple divorced in 2012.