15 hours ago
NBA: Who is Maria Pizarro, the mother of Fil-Am player Dylan Harper?
Dylan Harper, the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft Class, has lived his whole life with basketball.
After all, he is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and basketball coach Maria Pizarro, who Dylan credits for his growth in the sport.
'My mom. I mean my mom coached me from first grade to senior high school so definitely her,' Dylan said in an interview.
READ MORE | Family matters: How close ties helped Fil-Am Dylan Harper shape his young career
Dylan's Filipino roots are from his mom Maria who migrated to the United States at the age of seven.
According to Springfield Community College student publication The Springfield Student, Maria played in the NCAA Division I with the University of New Orleans before she found her way to coaching.
'Always being passionate about the sports I played, I wanted to continue being involved in the game (specifically basketball) as an adult,' Maria told The Springfield Student. 'Coaching was the natural progression for me to stay connected to the game I love.'
Dylan, meanwhile, is just happy that he continues to fulfill his dreams with his mother beside him.
'For her to see this moment and just be there for my journey and see all the good and the bad. This probably means the world to her as much it means to me. I love my mom. Everything I do, it's definitely for her," Harper said.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
