Celtics guard ready for the spotlight at NBA All-Star Weekend

LOS ANGELES — In a crowded room on the Intuit Dome, dozens of reporters from throughout the globe surrounded Ron Harper Jr.

A number of have been from the Philippines, inquiring about whether or not the 25-year-old Celtic would ever think about ultimately enjoying for the Philippine nationwide workforce (he would).

Others hailed from Portugal, desirous to know what it was prefer to share the ground with Neemias Queta, the nation’s first-ever NBA participant (the 2 have lengthy been shut pals).

For Harper, this type of media frenzy — being the principle occasion — has not been the norm for a really very long time.

For the previous couple of years, he’s bounced round within the G League, combating for a spot within the NBA. He’s been on 4 two-way contracts in three totally different cities, been waived a number of instances, and suffered a season-ending shoulder damage two years in the past that hindered his confidence — and, for a stretch, his profession.

Now at All-Star weekend for the primary time, and on the heels of his best-ever stretch within the league, he’s keen to indicate that he belongs.

On Friday, he’ll take part within the Rising Stars sport as a member of the G League workforce; the Celtics guard was chosen to signify the Maine Celtics as one of many G League’s finest gamers after averaging 24.3 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and three.1 assists this season. He’ll share the ground with different G League standouts, an inventory that features Alijah Martin, Yang Hansen, Jahmir Younger, and Sean East II, amongst others.

“We have been speaking just a little bit within the locker room earlier than we got here out right here — I believe we have been all actually excited to compete and signify the G League and be capable of go on the market and present those who we will compete on the grandest stage,” Harper Jr. stated. “So I really feel like all of us received a typical understanding that we’re gonna go on the market, play the best approach, play as a workforce — and we’re in the end making an attempt to get a win.”

Then, on Saturday, he’ll lace up within the NBA’s Capturing Stars competitors as a part of a three-person workforce that additionally contains his father, former NBA Star Ron Harper, and youthful brother, San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, who was the No. 2 decide within the 2025 NBA draft.

That plan got here collectively on the final minute, and Harper couldn’t flip down his brother and father as soon as he was introduced with the ask.

“They’d each agreed to it, and so they requested me to do it,” he stated. “And I used to be like, ‘Yeah, why not?’ I wasn’t gonna stick them in with some random on the workforce. And, it made sense. I knew I used to be gonna be right here already for the Rising Stars sport. It was simply gonna be an incredible alternative to create some lifelong recollections with household.”

The timing of the high-profile weekend is fortuitous; this month, Harper has begun to interrupt into an NBA rotation for the very first time.

In truth, he’s performed almost as many NBA minutes in February (70) as he has in his complete NBA profession earlier than that (105).

His breakout sport got here earlier this month, when he began in a sport towards the Houston Rockets and tallied 11 factors, 9 rebounds, and three assists — all career-highs. Most notably, he received the Kevin Durant project on protection — and held the Rockets’ star to one among his worst video games of the season.

On Friday, Harper deemed guarding Durant his “Welcome to the NBA” second.

“A dude like that, you don’t wish to let him catch the ball,” he stated. “After which generally he will get to the spot, and you’ll’t do nothing about it.”

Ron and Dylan Harper be a part of forces at NBA All-Star Weekend

One of many cool parts of the weekend for Ron Harper is the chance to spend time along with his brother, Dylan. The 2 will face off towards each other in Friday night time’s Rising Stars problem and workforce up on Saturday night time.

The brothers, who’re six years aside, grew up battling one another in 1-on-1 basketball video games within the driveway.

“I had a really strict older brother philosophy the place — you bought to earn it, I’m not gonna let him win,” Ron Harper stated. “I used to inform my mother and father each time — he used to get mad at me due to it — that he’s gonna do it to anyone else in the future.”

Whereas each have had very totally different journeys to the NBA, they’re equally in place to impression successful on elite NBA squads.

Each brothers are on the second-best groups of their respective conferences; the Celtics maintain a 35-19 document, whereas the Spurs are 38-16.

Dylan was a lottery decide with expectations to return in and contribute to the Spurs instantly; he’s averaged 10.9 factors in 21.7 minutes per sport this season.

Ron’s solely averaging 10.7 minutes throughout 10 video games this season, however his manufacturing and on-court alternatives have trended up, significantly within the wake of the midseason commerce that despatched Anfernee Simons to Chicago and created a bigger alternative within the Celtics backcourt.

And, Ron nonetheless likes his possibilities towards his youthful brother.

“If we play tomorrow within the driveway, ain’t no refs on the market? I’m successful.”