All About Dylan Harper's Parents, Mom Maria and Dad Ron Harper (Who Played for the Lakers!)

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Former Rutgers star Dylan Harper is a top prospect going into the 2025 NBA draft
His parents, Ron and Maria Harper, have their own basketball careers
Dylan's dad played in the NBA, and his mom has been a basketball coach for nearly 30 years
For Dylan Harper, basketball is in the blood.
Soobum Im/Getty; Harry How /Allsport Dylan Harper. ; Ron Harper.
Dylan Harper. ; Ron Harper.
Dylan, who is part of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25, has been lighting up the court by playing for Rutgers University's Scarlet Knights — following in the footsteps of his older brother, Ron Harper Jr.
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Dylan is about to embark on his own professional basketball career, but his family is already comfortable on the court. His dad is Ron Harper Sr., who played for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, among other teams. Meanwhile, his mom, Maria Harper, has been his basketball coach since elementary school.
"We're playing the sport we love. They're playing it, I'm coaching it. It's a family affair, and that's how pure it is in our family," Maria told Jersey Sports Zone in April 2023.
Here's everything to know about Dylan Harper's parents, Ron and Maria Harper.
Ron played in the NBA
Sporting News via Getty Ron Harper of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the Houston Rockets on January 30, 2000 in Houston, Texas.
Ron Harper of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the Houston Rockets on January 30, 2000 in Houston, Texas.
Ron played for the L.A. Lakers from 1999 to 2001. He was a point guard and shooting guard who helped lead the team to win two back-to-back NBA Championships in 2000 and 2001.
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Before joining the Lakers, he played for the Chicago Bulls from 1994 to 1999 — alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen — winning three championships during his time on the team.
Prior to the Bulls and the Lakers, Ron bounced the ball for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1989 and then the L.A. Clippers from 1989 to 1994. His NBA career ultimately spanned over a dozen seasons, from 1986 to 2001.
Maria is a former basketball player for the University of New Orleans
Maria cut up the court herself, as a Division I basketball player for the University of New Orleans from 1993 to 1996, per the Rutgers University website.
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According to The Springfield Student, Maria's love for basketball began in fifth grade when she first started playing after school. She continued to play through high school, eventually scoring a scholarship to the University of New Orleans.
In a July 2023 interview with The Athletic, Maria said she "was super scrappy" during her time as a college basketball player.
"I defended the hell out of the ball. I created offense through defense," she shared. "I wasn't a knockdown shooter. I looked to get my teammates involved. And I just loved it so much."
Ron and Maria were married from 2005 to 2012
J.Sciulli/WireImage Ron Harper and Maria Pizarro.
Ron Harper and Maria Pizarro.
Ron and Maria met in 1998, and they welcomed their first child, son Ron Jr., in April 2000. He now plays for the Detroit Pistons.
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According to The Athletic, Ron and Maria married on New Year's Eve in 2005. Later that spring, Dylan was born in March 2006. Mia, their youngest, followed in 2010, before the couple called it quits two years later, in 2012.
'Those years were very tough for me,' Maria told The Athletic. 'My kids' lives are not fairy tales, like people would assume.'
Maria taught Dylan how to play basketball
Sarah Stier/Getty Dylan Harper #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights dribbles during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2025 in New York City.
Dylan Harper #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights dribbles during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2025 in New York City.
Maria was Dylan's basketball coach from elementary school all the way through senior year of high school.
In a December 2024 interview with Swish Cultures, Dylan opened up about how his mom helped him become the basketball star he is today, saying, "She's been there from the jump."
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"She was my first ever coach. She's everything to me," he continued. "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 is a basketball coach, with almost 30 years of experience
After her college basketball days, Maria took her love of basketball to the sidelines and started her coaching career, which has lasted nearly 30 years, according to The Springfield Student.
'Always being passionate about the sports I played, I wanted to continue being involved in the game (specifically basketball) as an adult,' Maria told the outlet. 'Coaching was the natural progression for me to stay connected to the game I love.'
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Her first coaching job was as an assistant coach in Chicago, before becoming the head coach of the girls' varsity team at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J. Maria later stopped coaching for a few years so she could attend Ron Jr.'s basketball games.
In 2019, she returned to the court, becoming the assistant coach of the boys' basketball team at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., where both her sons played.
"She's been terrific," Don Bosco Prep coach Kevin Diverio told The Athletic. "She really commands the respect of the kids. She's no-nonsense, all business, but at the same time, she brings a little bit of the motherly factor to the team that I certainly can't provide."
Dylan credits his dad for his strong work ethic
Luther Schlaifer/NBAE via Getty Ron Harper and son Dylan Harper at a basketball game on December 6, 2023 in White Plains, New York.
Ron Harper and son Dylan Harper at a basketball game on December 6, 2023 in White Plains, New York.
As a former professional basketball player, Ron knows how much sweat it takes to be good enough to play for the NBA. He instilled that in Dylan, who told Hoops Hype that his dad taught him "just how hard you gotta work to really make it."
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"He has stories for days about work ethic, Michael Jordan work ethic, Kobe [Bryant] work ethic," he recalled. "It could just be what they did, and how they carry themselves every day. It's definitely that."
Dylan's dad might be an NBA legend, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to take him on the court. When asked in November 2024 which player from NBA history he would like to go up against, Dylan told Bleacher Report, "My dad."
"He talks a lot. Starting to get tired of it," he joked. "So any NBA player, I'm playing my dad one-on-one."
As for Dylan's basketball skills, Ron recognized them early on.
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"When Dylan was 5 years old, I told people he was going to be really good," he told The Athletic. "He reminded me of me. I was the youngest in a family of five boys. I watched them practice, and then I tried to go out there and do the same things."
Dylan said being in the NBA draft means "a lot" to his family
Sarah Stier/Getty Dylan Harper before the 2025 NBA Draft on June 24, 2025 in New York City.
Dylan Harper before the 2025 NBA Draft on June 24, 2025 in New York City.
As Dylan awaits his fate at the 2025 NBA draft on June 25 — with many, like ESPN, projecting him to be the likely No. 2 pick — his family continues to be a strong support system for him.
At a press conference ahead of the event, when asked what getting drafted would mean for him and his dad, Dylan told reporters, "It's definitely going to mean, just a lot to him, but a lot to everyone else like my mom, my brother, my grandparents and everyone else who's there."
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"Just because they kind of see me through the journey, and watch me go about my days," he added. "Even when I was high and low, they still stuck with me no matter what."
Read the original article on People