By MARK REY MONTEJO
The NBA’s 80th season is now on its exciting stage with the start of its ‘Final Four’ version where the men were separated from the boys.
In the Fil-American community, everyone is talking about the San Antonio Spurs.
Seven-foot three Victor Wembanyama is one good topic, but what excites them, perhaps the main menu, is the team’s rising star guard Dylan Harper.
Dylan, 20, has been making headlines since being drafted last year, not only for his decorated high school and collegiate résumé being son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, but also because of his Filipino heritage, which has made him a point of pride and added intrigue around his rise with the Spurs.
And from there, the Filipino-American standout knew exactly what to do, coming through with one spectacular play after another much to the delight of their supporters.
Like Mutt and Jeff, the two helped power the Spurs to a 122-15 double overtime escape against reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference Finals series.
As expected, Wembanyama delivered with a gigantic double-double effort off 41 points and 24 rebounds on top of three assists, one steal, and three blocks.
And Harper?
He was equally remarkable with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and seven steals in 47 minutes of play.
He even finished behind Wembanyama, in terms of output, in the nine-player roster utilized by Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson in the opener, enough to break the winning streak of the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-powered Thunder.
And those efforts put another Filipino-American player on the verge of NBA glory, once reached by Fil-American mentor Erik Spoelstra. And it could be another toast of the town for Filipino basketball fans across the world.
But before his ascent to the big league, Harper knew exactly what family meant to him, meaning embracing the heritage that he has, which was instilled to him since he was a little boy by his mother Maria and grandparents Manuel and Lilia, whose roots all are in Bataan.
“I think for me the biggest reason why it’s so special to me is that we’re representing Filipino heritage, just because that’s where my mom came from, my grandparents,” said Harper. “It’s my mom’s side of the family, so I just want to represent them everywhere I can. By us doing this I think it is doing a big thing for them.”
“I mean, family is everything to me. I think regardless of my mom’s or my dad’s side, just family in general means a whole world to me. So just to have this day, and kind of know that, that’s what that represents,” added Harper, a former Rutgers Scarlet Knights standout. “I think it’s a big blessing.”
Dylan, who joined current Filipino heritage players in the NBA in the likes of his older brother Ron Harper Jr., Jordan Clarkson, and Jared McCain, also stressed that if the opportunity of playing for Gilas Pilipinas comes his way, he wouldn’t say no to it.
The 6-foot-5 high-flying guard suited up for San Antonio last year, getting drafted as second overall pick in the NBA Draft. He made his mark and proved he belongs, posting up remarkable numbers throughout his rookie year, among was his career high 27 points and 10 rebounds statline in the Spurs’ 120–108 Game 2 victory over the Portland Trailblazers in the opening round.
And if stars align and the Spurs ousted the Thunder and their NBA Finals nemesis, Harper could be the first-ever Filipino-blooded player who won an NBA championship.
