As San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper prepares for the biggest stage of his young career in the 2026 NBA Finals, one person has been by his side every step of the way: his mother, Maria Pizarro Harper.
The Filipino-American basketball coach played a major role in shaping Harper into the player he is today, coaching him from elementary school through high school while helping guide him through the challenges of growing up in a basketball family.
Harper has never been shy about crediting his mother for his success.
“She means the world to me,” Harper said after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Here are five fast facts about Maria Harper.
1. Maria Harper Is a Filipino-American Who Immigrated From the Philippines
Maria Harper (née Pizarro) was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old.
Maria is the daughter of Manuel and Lilia Pizarro and was raised in Paterson, New Jersey after her family moved from Bataan.
The Filipino culture remained a major influence on the Harper household. Dylan has frequently spoken about growing up in a tight-knit Filipino-American family, enjoying family gatherings and traditional Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo and lumpia.
Following his selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dylan revealed that one of the first meals he wanted was his grandmother’s chicken adobo.
“Growing up in a Filipino-American household here, it was definitely cool,” Harper told reporters before the draft.
2. Maria Harper Played Division I Basketball at the University of New Orleans
Long before coaching her sons, Maria built an impressive basketball career of her own.
She played Division I basketball at the University of New Orleans from 1993 to 1996, where she earned a reputation as a relentless defender and team-first player.
“I was super scrappy,” Maria told The Athletic in 2023. “I defended the hell out of the ball. I created offense through defense. I wasn’t a knockdown shooter. I looked to get my teammates involved.”
Her love for basketball began in fifth grade and eventually led to a college scholarship.
That passion later became the foundation for her coaching career.
3. Maria Coached Dylan Harper From Childhood Through High School
Maria may be best known among Spurs fans as Dylan Harper’s first coach.
She coached Dylan from elementary school all the way through his senior year of high school, helping develop one of the nation’s top prospects.
In a 2024 interview with Swish Cultures, Harper described his mother as the biggest influence on his basketball journey.
“She’s been there from the jump,” Harper said. “She was my first ever coach. She’s everything to me.”
After the Spurs selected him second overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper again dedicated the moment to his mother.
“For her to see this moment and be there for my journey and see all the good and all the bad, it probably means the world to her just as much as me,” he said at the time.
4. Maria Raised Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr. With Former NBA Champion Ron Harper Sr.
Maria shares three children with former NBA star Ron Harper Sr., a five-time NBA champion who won titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
According to The Athletic, Maria and Ron Sr. married on New Year’s Eve in 2005 after already welcoming their first son, Ron Harper Jr., in April 2000.
A few months after the wedding, Dylan was born in March 2006. Their youngest child, Mia Harper, followed in 2010.
The couple later separated in 2012.
While Ron Sr. provided NBA championship pedigree, Maria played the central role in Dylan’s day-to-day basketball development.
The Spurs guard has consistently credited both parents for shaping his career, with his father teaching him work ethic and his mother teaching him the game itself.
5. Maria Says the Spurs Organization Has Treated Dylan Like Family
Maria has been impressed by what she has seen from the Spurs organization since Dylan arrived in San Antonio.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, she praised the culture surrounding Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and the rest of the Spurs roster.
“They really do love each other,” Maria said. “It’s palpable.”
She also revealed that Dylan has formed strong relationships with veteran teammates and coaches during his first NBA season.
“Those guys in the locker room really embraced him,” Maria said. “He’s found really incredible and I believe lifetime connections there.”
After San Antonio’s run to the 2026 NBA Finals, Maria shared an emotional moment with her son on the court following the Western Conference Finals victory over Oklahoma City.
“You go through all your life experiences. Last year was a tough year. It all lines up for this,” she told him.
For Spurs fans, Maria Harper’s story is a reminder that Dylan Harper’s rise didn’t begin at Rutgers or in the NBA Draft. It started years earlier with a Filipino-American mother who taught him the game and helped him chase his dream.
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