It was a big night for Dylan Harper on Wednesday (June 25) as the No. 2 pick of the NBA Draft, but it was perhaps an even bigger night for his mom, Maria Pizarro, who stole the show with an appearance on ESPN.
Pizarro joined her son to speak to the ESPN cameras just moments after the 19-year-old Rutgers Scarlet Knights alum was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. “His flat-out love for the game, his determination, hard work and humility, day in and day out,” an emotional Pizarro told ESPN about what led to her son making it to the NBA.
Viewers quickly flooded social media with comments about Harper’s mom, with many calling her a “smoke show” and saying she was “the star” of the entire draft.
“Dylan Harper a top 3 NBA draft pick and his mother look like this. God gave this family 99 potential,” wrote one X user.
“I’m feeling EVERYTHING… from crying, to laughing, to being happy”
– Dylan Harper, newest San Antonio Spur 👏 pic.twitter.com/BBtk9b7EPa
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
“The biggest winner of the #NBADraft so far: Maria Harper (Dylan’s mom),” said another.
“Dylan Harper mom!????? Yeah run that. She’s so beautiful,” another added.
Another stated, “Dylan Harper mom about to gain a million new followers on Instagram. #NBADraft.”
NBA TWITTER BREAKING OVER DYLAN HARPER MOM 😭#NBADraft2025 pic.twitter.com/LCI3lNWXBr
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) June 26, 2025
“Let Dylan Harper’s mom announce the rest of the picks,” quipped one fan.
“Dylan Harper’s mom is a baddddieeeee,” said another.
“Star of the draft besides Cooper Flagg is Dylan Harper’s momma,” one commenter wrote.
Dylan Harper mom about to gain a million new followers on Instagram. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/c8JBsQ6l7w
— Chris| Sports Fanatic (@SportsWinn) June 26, 2025
“Respectfully Dylan Harper’s mom is an absolute smoke show,” another added.
Pizarro also spoke to ESPN’s social media channels later in the evening where she shared her thoughts on Harper being the No. 2 draft pick. “It’s surreal,” she said. “The NBA is a very exclusive club and he’s worked so hard to get here. I’m just so proud of him.”
Per ESPNW, Dylan Harper’s Mom and her thoughts on him being drafted pic.twitter.com/d1M6GeVvV4
— BigRichMagic (@BigRichMagic) June 26, 2025
Harper is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, who was in the crowd on Wednesday night. However, the newest Spurs recruit said his mother was who really pushed him in basketball, serving as his coach from first grade to his senior year of high school.
Pizarro spoke about Harper’s training in a 2023 interview with New York Times, saying, “I’m not big on girlfriends or house parties. We get up, we go to school, we have our activity, whether it’s basketball or it’s dance, we get our homework done, and that’s about it. That’s the tone that I set in the household.”
She added, “What makes him good is that he’s a Swiss army knife. He sees the floor like an eagle. He knows how to get his teammates involved. He’s a very capable scorer if you need him to be, but because he has a point guard mentality, he wants his teammates to succeed, even before himself.”
Pizarro and Ron met in 1998 and welcomed their first child, Ron Jr., in 2000. They tied the knot in 2005 and welcomed their second child, Dylan, in 2006. The former couple divorced in 2012.