By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-22 14:58:20
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2025年10月13日，印第安纳波利斯，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀（2号）在一场NBA季前赛中。 (美联社照片/AJ Mast)
达拉斯电 – 周三，当马刺队抵达美国航空中心进行常规赛的首次投篮训练时，场馆的灯光已经璀璨明亮。
迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 知道，这里的灯光很快将变得更加耀眼。
距离常规赛揭幕战的开球还有近九个小时，看台上空无一人。每个座位上都搭着一件白色的推广T恤，晚些时候，这里将被呐喊助威的达拉斯独行侠队球迷坐满。
环顾四周，哈珀双眼圆睁，写满了惊奇——这是自去年六月被马刺队选中以来，他第一次完全展现出自己19岁新秀的青涩模样。
“这真是梦想成真，”哈珀说。“我从小就梦想着能打上职业篮球。”
然而，与大多数孩子不同，哈珀的成长环境让他与自己的NBA梦想触手可及。他的父亲罗恩·哈珀 (Ron Harper) 在联盟征战了15个赛季，并随芝加哥公牛队和洛杉矶湖人队赢得了五次总冠军。
2006年迪伦出生时，老哈珀已经退役五年了。但他的儿子在YouTube上看过父亲与迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 并肩作战以及同场竞技的视频片段。
他还亲眼见过父亲陈列在家中门厅的那五枚总冠军戒指。
“你一走进去马上就能看到它们，”迪伦·哈珀说。“他当然有资格炫耀这些戒指。这都是他努力拼搏得来的。”
当谈到上演NBA首秀的新秀时，周三这场赛季揭幕战的大部分焦点都集中在达拉斯的库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 身上，他是今年六月选秀大会的状元秀。
而哈珀，或许是场馆里为数不多的、更关心那位榜眼秀首秀表现的人之一。
哈珀来自新泽西州的富兰克林湖区，他说自己最早的NBA记忆是卡梅隆·安东尼 (Carmelo Anthony) 时代的纽约尼克斯队。在他7岁时，正值2013年林书豪 (Jeremy Lin) 掀起“林疯狂 (Linsanity)”热潮，他曾去麦迪逊广场花园现场观看了好几场比赛。
哈珀也曾多次到现场观看NBA比赛，为他效力于底特律的哥哥小罗恩·哈珀 (Ron Harper Jr.) 加油。
他明白，没有什么能让他为亲身踏上NBA赛场做好万全的准备。
“即便是在季前赛里，我也会想起一年前自己还坐在观众席上看球的情景，”哈珀说。“如今亲身站在场上，这是一种完全不同的体验。”
哈珀说，他计划依靠父亲给他的建议来平复周三揭幕战前的紧张情绪。
“就是享受比赛，做我自己，”哈珀说。“要相信我为走到今天所付出的一切努力。不要畏惧这个时刻。”
在所有这些方面，马刺队对这位身高6英尺6英寸的前罗格斯大学杰出球员至今的表现都非常满意。哈珀很少像周三早上凝视美国航空中心时那样，显得如此敬畏和惊叹。
通常情况下，哈珀打球的样子就像一个从小就在篮球圈里耳濡目染的人。
“对于他的年龄来说，他很成熟，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“我认为他能够吸收和记住东西，不犯太多重复性的错误，这对于他这个年纪的孩子来说是很难得的。这是一个非常好的发展基础。”
有时候，正是像周三上午这样的时刻，才提醒着大家哈珀究竟有多年轻。当被问及是否为首次体验马刺队与独行侠队的“德州德比”而感到兴奋时，哈珀表示他无法准确回答这个问题。
“我对这一切都还很陌生，”他说。
而从周三开始，哈珀的目标就是通过一场场比赛，让自己对这一切变得不再陌生。
2025年10月13日，印第安纳波利斯，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀（2号）在一场NBA季前赛中。 (美联社照片/AJ Mast)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks for a pass from Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) as he is defended by Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, right, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Dylan Harper #2 of San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during 2025 NBA Summer League game between the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
点击查看原文：In showdown of top 2 NBA picks, don't sleep on Spurs' Dylan Harper
In showdown of top 2 NBA picks, don’t sleep on Spurs’ Dylan Harper
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in action during a preseason NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
DALLAS – The lights were already bright at the American Airlines Center when the Spurs arrived for the first shootaround session of the regular-season Wednesday.
Dylan Harper knew they would soon grow brighter.
With tipoff of the regular-season opener still nearly nine hours away, the stands were empty. White promotional T-shirts were draped over each seat, which later would be filled with screaming Dallas Mavericks fans.
Looking around the place, eyes wide as saucers, Harper – for the first time since the Spurs drafted him last June – appeared every bit of the 19-year-old rookie he is.
“It’s a dream come true,” Harper said. “Since I was a little kid, I dreamed of playing this game.”
Unlike most kids, though, Harper grew up within touching distance of his NBA dream. His father Ron played 15 seasons in the league and won five championships with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
The elder Harper had been retired for five years when Dylan was born in 2006. But his son has seen YouTube clips of his dad playing with and against Michael Jordan.
And he has seen the five championship rings his father has on display in the foyer of his home.
“You walk in and you see them right away,” Dylan Harper said. “He’s allowed to show them off. He worked hard to get them.”
When it came to rookies making their NBA debut, most of the hype surrounding Wednesday’s season-opener centered on Dallas’ Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the June draft.
Harper might have been one of the few in the building more interested in the debut of the guy drafted No. 2.
A native of Franklin Lakes, N.J., Harper says his earliest NBA memories were of the Carmelo Anthony-era New York Knicks. As a 7-year-old, he attended several games at Madison Square Garden during Jeremy Lin’s 2013 “Linsanity” run.
Harper has been to a number of NBA games to support his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., who plays for Detroit.
He understands nothing could truly prepare him for being on an NBA floor himself.
“Even in the preseason games, I would remember what it was like a year ago being in the seats and watching from the stands,” Harper said. “Being on the court now is a different experience.”
Harper said he planned to calm his nerves before Wednesday’s opener by leaning on advice his father has given him.
“Just have fun and be me,” Harper said. “Trust all the hard work I put in to get here. Don’t shy away from the moment.”
In all those regards, the Spurs have liked what they’ve seen from the 6-foot-6 former Rutgers standout so far. Harper has seldom seemed as awestruck as he did gazing around the American Airlines Center on Wednesday morning.
Typically, Harper has played like a guy who has been around the game his entire life.
“He’s mature for his age,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think he’s able to retain things and not make a lot of repeatable mistakes, which is sometimes few far in between for a kid at that age. It’s something that is a good base to build off of.”
It sometimes takes moments like Wednesday morning to remind everyone just how young Harper is. Asked if he was excited for his first indoctrination into the Spurs-Mavericks Texas rivalry, Harper said he couldn’t accurately answer the question.
“I’m new to all this,” he said.
The goal, starting Wednesday, is for Harper to become less new to all this, one game at time.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in action during a preseason NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News