From sibling rivalry to teaming up with dad, Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. turned his NBA All-Star Weekend appearance into a family highlight reel.
On all three nights of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, a member of the Boston Celtics (35-19) was slated to represent the green on the national stage.
For both night one and night two, Ron Harper Jr. was the man for the job.
A standout guard for the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine, Harper has also had impressive moments for the big league club this season. Receiving this level of recognition as an up-and-coming NBA player is a well-deserved honor for someone who has earned every opportunity at the pro level.
His “highlight,” so to speak, from night one was having the game-winning bucket of the Rising Stars semifinal game scored over him by his younger brother Dylan.
NOTE - I have “highlight” in quotes because it was a cool moment for all of us as basketball fans - probably not so cool for him, though. Who likes being embarrassed by their little brother?
He had 7 rebounds in the loss, but what most will remember is his younger brother's game-winning shot.
The Peacock TV cameras showed Ron and Dylan’s dad, Ron Harper Sr., smiling and laughing after the bucket. An undoubtedly cool moment for the Bulls legend: watching his two sons be part of the All-Star festivities together in some capacity.
On night two, Harper Sr. and his two sons were all on one team, as “Team Harper” was a part of the Shooting Stars competition - making its return to the All-Star Weekend docket for the first time since 2015.
Before we recap how Harper and his family members performed, here’s a quick refresher on what the Shooting Stars competition actually is:
- First introduced at All-Star Weekend in 2004, the event is a timed shooting contest featuring small teams made up of current and former players
- Teams race against the clock to knock down a series of increasingly difficult shots from around the floor, with four teams competing in a two-round format
- The top two squads from the opening round advance to a head-to-head final, with each round lasting just 70 seconds, putting a premium on pace, accuracy, and execution
Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team Harper forward Ron Harper Jr. (13) of the Boston Celtics and Team Harper guard Dylan Harper (2) of the San Antonio Spurs and Team Harper NBA legend Ron Harper and musician 2Chainz are introduced before the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. (William Liang/Imagn Images)In addition to “Team Harper,” the other teams competing on Saturday night’s Shooting Stars event were “Team All-Star” (Scottie Barnes, Chet Holmgren and Richard “Rip” Hamilton), “Team Cameron” (Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette), and “Team Knicks” (Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and Allen Houston).
When you read those mini-rosters, you probably assume the Harpers - sporting two young players and their 62-year-old dad - would be the worst of the bunch. But in reality, the Harpers did finish with one team below them.
They didn’t do enough to advance to the final, but their 18 points were enough to beat “Team All-Star,” who finished with 16 points. And if not for a last-second half-court shot by Rip, the Harpers would have beaten Team All-Star by four points instead of two.
As far as how Harper Jr. performed in the event?
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter. But for those keeping score at home…
Harper Jr. was 3 for 7, with makes from the block, the elbow and the corner. His misses came from the baseline, the wing, the top of the key, and from half-court.
To be clear, none of that matters.
This is another instance where the family moment will overshadow Harper Jr.’s individual performance.
One thing I can say for sure:
The Harper family’s Christmas card is going to be lit this year.
Feb 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. (13) warms up before the start of the game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.