Dylan Harper Seals Rising Stars Win Over Brother Ron in Family-Fueled Showdown
It’s not often you get a driveway moment on a national stage, but that’s exactly what happened Friday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The NBA Rising Stars Challenge delivered a little more than just highlight-reel dunks and flashy passes-it gave us a family faceoff that ended with a picture-perfect ending.
In one of the most anticipated matchups of the night, Maine Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. suited up for Team Austin Rivers, representing the Boston Celtics organization. On the other side?
His younger brother, Dylan Harper, a promising rookie guard for the San Antonio Spurs, starting for Team Carmelo Anthony. It was the kind of storyline that writes itself-and the Harper brothers didn’t disappoint.
Let’s set the scene: the Rising Stars Challenge has evolved into a mini-tournament format, now in its fifth season using the four-team, three-game setup. Each team features seven players, with three squads made up of NBA rookies and sophomores, and one composed of G League standouts.
Instead of playing by the clock, each game is decided by a “final target score”-40 points in the semifinals, 25 in the final. It’s quirky, sure, but it keeps the energy up and the players engaged.
And on All-Star Weekend, that’s saying something.
In the first semifinal, Team Carmelo Anthony faced off against Team Austin Rivers, and right from the jump, all eyes were on the Harper brothers. Ron Jr. got the starting nod for Team Austin, while Dylan started for Team Melo. It was a proud moment for the family, and even head coach Austin Rivers couldn’t help but soak it in.
“That’s gotta be dope,” Rivers said in a mic’d-up moment from the bench. “He’s playing against his brother on NBA All-Star Weekend.
How surreal is that, man? I know Pops is proud right now.”
“Pops,” of course, is five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., who was in the crowd watching his sons go head-to-head. The Bulls legend will join both of them on Saturday night for the Shooting Stars event, but on Friday, he was just Dad-smiling from the stands, soaking in a moment that felt straight out of a family scrapbook.
The game itself was tight, but it came down to one final possession. Team Carmelo led 38-34, just two points away from the target score.
Dylan Harper had the ball. Ron Jr. was guarding him.
One stop would keep Team Austin alive. One bucket would end it.
Dylan calmly went behind the back, then hit his older brother with a smooth move into a fadeaway in the lane. Bucket. Game.
It was the kind of move that looked like it had been practiced a thousand times in the backyard. And maybe it had. But this time, it was under the bright lights of All-Star Weekend, with the cameras rolling and the crowd buzzing.
The broadcast cut to Ron Sr., who couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head-equal parts proud and amused. After all, how often do you get to watch your sons face off on this kind of stage?
There were no hard feelings, no stat-padding, no postgame drama. Just a moment-a snapshot in time that the Harper family will be talking about for years.
The box score won’t tell the full story. But the footage of Dylan hitting that game-winner over his brother, and their dad’s reaction in the stands? That’s the stuff All-Star Weekend is made for.