Dylan Harper’s brother is Ron Harper Jr., an NBA professional currently playing for the Detroit Pistons. But in the Harper family, one brother is only part of the story.
Dylan grew up in a household where basketball was not a hobby. It was the family language, spoken fluently by a five-time NBA champion father, a Division I college athlete mother who became his high school coach, and an older brother who got to the NBA first and showed Dylan exactly how it was done.
Who Is Ron Harper Jr.? Dylan’s Brother Who Got There First
Ron Harper Jr. was born to five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. and Maria Pizarro, a former college basketball player at the University of New Orleans. He grew up in the same Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, household as Dylan, the same driveway, the same gym sessions, the same father watching both sons develop their games.
Ron Jr. attended Rutgers University, where he built a solid college career before going undrafted. He signed with the Toronto Raptors organization, worked his way through the G League, and eventually signed a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons in January 2025. He is still carving out his NBA career with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate.
Dylan Harper chose Rutgers over Duke, Kansas, and Auburn, partly because his brother had already been there. He followed Ron Jr.’s footsteps all the way to the same program, then eclipsed every record his brother set. Dylan broke the Rutgers freshman scoring record with 564 points in the 2024–25 season, the most by any freshman in program history.
Two brothers, same school, same basketball DNA, one paving the road, the other breaking records on it.
The Family That Made Both Brothers Who They Are
The Harper family is not a basketball family by accident. It is a basketball family by design.
Their father, Ron Harper Sr., played 15 seasons in the NBA and won five championships, three with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and two more with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. He was Miami University’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and his jersey was the first ever retired by the university.
Their mother, Maria Pizarro, played college basketball at the University of New Orleans. She did not step back from the game when her sons were born, she coached Dylan from first grade all the way through high school, serving as an assistant coach at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey.
At the 2025 NBA Draft, she went viral when ESPN interviewed her on stage alongside Dylan and Ron Jr. after Dylan was selected second overall by the San Antonio Spurs.
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 said in a 2023 interview with Jersey Sports Zone.
Dylan signed a two-year, $25.36 million contract with the Spurs in July 2025. He now plays alongside Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick from the 2023 draft, in what the Spurs hope will become one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA.
FAQs About Dylan Harper’s Brother and Family
Who is Dylan Harper’s brother?
Dylan Harper’s brother is Ron Harper Jr., a professional basketball player currently on a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons. Ron Jr. also played college basketball at Rutgers, the same school Dylan attended before entering the 2025 NBA Draft.
Did Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr. go to the same college?
Yes. Both brothers played college basketball at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Dylan followed Ron Jr. to Rutgers, becoming the program’s highest-rated recruit in history, and broke the Rutgers freshman scoring record with 564 points in his only season there.
Who are Dylan Harper’s parents?
Dylan’s father is Ron Harper Sr., a five-time NBA champion who played for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. His mother is Maria Pizarro, a former Division I college basketball player at the University of New Orleans who later coached Dylan as an assistant at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey.
Where was Dylan Harper drafted?
Dylan Harper was selected second overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, behind only Cooper Flagg, who was picked by the Dallas Mavericks. He signed a two-year, $25.36 million contract with the Spurs in July 2025.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dylan Harper |
| Date of Birth | March 2, 2006 |
| Birthplace | Franklin Lakes, New Jersey |
| Brother | Ron Harper Jr. (Detroit Pistons) |
| Father | Ron Harper Sr. (5x NBA Champion) |
| Mother | Maria Pizarro (college basketball player, high school coach) |
| College | Rutgers University (2024–25) |
| NBA Team | San Antonio Spurs (drafted 2nd overall, 2025) |
| Contract | 2 years, $25.36 million |
