Filipino-American NBA brothers Dylan and Ron Harper, Jr. made family and heritage even prouder as both saw action in the NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars Challenge last February 15, 2026 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, USA.

The San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan, and the Boston Celtics' Ron Jr. (by way of G-League squad Maine) – sons of NBA champ Ron Harper and Bataan native and long-time basketball coach Maria – played opposite each other during the annual NBA showcase held from February 13 to 15. 

The Harper brothers even left a playful mark in the featured bout.

Dylan cashed in the game-winning jumper while being defended one-on-one by his ‘Kuya’ Ron Jr. for a moment of brotherly nostalgia.

“I was focused on winning the game. But, I mean, it's nice to hit the game winning shot with your brother– that sibling rivalry took us back to, like, the park or the gym. So I mean, that was honestly great,” said Dylan in a post-game press interview.

The younger Harper (20), currently a rookie with the San Antonio Spurs, represented Team Melo alongside the likes of Stephon Castle and Ace Bailey in the All-Star Weekend’s showcase of young talents. 

He was the second-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

As for Team Austin’s Ron Jr., who this season is playing for Boston's G-League team Maine, just being able to “be selected to play in this game” and “spend time with my little brother and my family” is already an honor.

‘Kuya’ Ron Jr. also echoed Dylan's sentiments of nostalgia, recounting their younger years “just playing in the driveway” while speaking highly of their brotherhood.

“Watching his (Dylan’s) journey when he was just a kid, all the way until now– we talk a lot and I tell him that I think of the times when we were kids just playing in the driveway,” Ron Jr. told the press, detailing that he was always the competitive ‘kuya’ to Dylan.

“I was the rough older brother definitely. I had a very strict ‘older brother’ philosophy where you go to earn it, and I won’t let him win. I used to tell my parents when they got mad at me because of it that, ‘he’s gonna do it to somebody else one day. ‘Lo n behold that's exactly what he is doing,” added big bro Ron Jr. 

FAMILY AFFAIR

It was an all-out affair for the Harper family during the 2026 All-Star Weekend.

Aside from the brothers’ participation in the Rising Stars event, five-time NBA champion Ron Sr. joined his boys in the Shooting Stars Challenge. 

“It was probably a big thing (to play) with my two sons, so I’m happy to be here. I love to play, continue to be that guy that you (were) when he was growing up, stay in the hoop gym and just try to improve every day,” shared Ron Sr. during a conversation with the press.

“I'm very definitely proud of these two young men,” he added.

Filipino mom Maria Pizarro Harper, a long-time basketball mentor whom the Harper brothers credit as their first hoops mentor, was also on the sidelines expressing full support. 

Over the years, Maria has consistently been an inspiring presence in the lives of the Harper brothers. In a June 2025 report by GMA News Online, Dylan pointed to her mom as his coach "from first grade to senior high school."

She's been the focus of various reports and news features highlighting the basketball journey of his sons. In a 2025 interview with GMA Integrated News’ Martin Javier, Maria shared how, despite leaving Bataan at a young age and being based in the US since, she and her kids are still “very in touch with our Filipino side.”

“My mom and my dad and my three sisters have been a really big part of my children’s lives. We have Filipino traditions. The midnight mass for Pasko… Going to Church on Sundays. Going to lola for Sunday dinner. Also the things that we wanna do for our kids. We made a really big imprint on all three of my children– Ronald (Jr.), Dylan, and Mia,” she explained. 

From field reportage by Martin Javier/GMA Integrated News