Dylan Harper, brother Ron Jr. ineligible to play for Gilas Pilipinas as locals, says SBP

Are brothers Dylan and Ron Harper eligible to play as locals for Gilas Pilipinas?

The question was touched upon last Tuesday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum as some online content raised the idea of NBA players Dylan Harper and Jordan Clarkson joining the national team.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy revealed that the Harper brothers are not eligible to play as locals for Gilas Pilipinas.

“To begin with, I don’t believe Dylan has a passport already,” Dy said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Although they have reached out I think two years ago when Coach Norman and I were in Las Vegas asking about eligibility. But he was already 18, 19 [years old] at that time and they didn’t have passports yet,” she added.

“Definitely, the brothers won’t be eligible as a local if they play for Gilas.”

The Harper brothers are the sons of former NBA player Ron Harper and Filipina Maria Pizarro.

READ MORE | Who is Maria Pizarro, the mother of Fil-Am player Dylan Harper?

Clarkson had previously suited up for the national team, such as in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but is also not recognized by FIBA as a local. He is classified as a naturalized player instead.

Clarkson is not included in the national team’s list for the Asian Games.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News