Why Dylan Harper's workout with Giannis Antetokounmpo could change his NBA future
Why Dylan Harper's workout with Giannis could change his NBA future (Image Source: Getty Images)
The pre-draft workout of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo with San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper has become one of the most iconic moments in the career of the latter that can become a staple of how he is going to view professional basketball in the future.
On the Carmelo Anthony podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn, the no. 2 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft recently explained how he was able to be switched on after a single workout session and was able to be exposed to championship-level discipline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's masterclass in precision and patience
The training session showed that Giannis Antetokounmpo has an amazing dedication to perfection, especially his mantra of remaining at particular shooting positions to twenty minutes of trying to perfect the shot.
Harper had assumed that he would just be playing informally one-on-one; however, what he found was an NBA-level training session. The Milwaukee Bucks forward discussed the principle of the so-called kill spots on the court - places in which a special player can gain control even against the player of the Defensive Player of the Year level.
The teaching style of Antetokounmpo was based on the idea that a person cannot be perfect, but he can be close to being perfect, and this is how championship mentality values the process, rather than the final outcome.
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This systematic training, compared with Harper's previous experiences of Harper, and the young guard had to re-examine his ideas of professional preparation quality.
The meeting of Harper and the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player went down prior to his freshman year at Rutgers University, and his teammate, Ace Bailey, was later drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz. This early exposure made Harper privy to the process of preparation and the intensity of details, which has made Antetokounmpo one of the toughest forces in the league.
San Antonio Spurs' development culture aligns perfectly with Harper's new mindset
The development of Harper fits perfectly with the player development system in San Antonio Spurs, which has always brought out the best in rookies since the birth of the franchise. The history of the organisation is marked by turning high draft picks such as Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Victor Wembanyama into championship-level players by adhering to the principles of disciplined and goal-oriented approaches to training.
Already having secured back-to-back Rookie of the Year awards with other Spurs draft picks, Harper wants to add to this record while drawing on the experience of what he learned watching Antetokounmpo. The franchise's focus of fundamentals and step-by-step development reflects the Harper work ethic he experienced during his workout with the Greek Freak.
The next time the San Antonio Spurs take the field will be in October of 2025, as the team starts its 2025-26 season, and fans will be able to see the progression of the rookie season of Dylan Harper as the complete schedule will be announced later this summer.
Also Read:
NBA draft news: Oklahoma City Thunder take Brooks Barnhizer at No. 44 despite season-ending foot injury
Harper enters his professional career equipped not only with natural talent but also with championship-level wisdom gained from one of basketball's most respected competitors, positioning him for potential stardom in San Antonio.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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