Dylan Harper told Bleacher Report the Spurs' five-game Finals loss to the Knicks still sits with him. He averaged 18.0 points in the series.
Nearly two months after the San Antonio Spurs lost the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks in five games, Dylan Harper was asked about the series in an interview with Bleacher Report.
"You don't ever get over something like that. Any team that loses in the NBA Finals kind of feels like they dropped the ball," Harper said. "But I mean, it's not much getting over it, I feel like you have to move on if you want to get to the next thing. But, just kind of using it as fuel to the fire and having that in the back of my mind."
Harper came off the bench in all five games against New York. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the series and finished as San Antonio's second-leading scorer behind Victor Wembanyama.
In the Game 5 elimination on June 13, Harper led the team with 25 points, shooting 10-of-19, and adding 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block in 31 minutes. New York won that game 94-90. In Game 4, he scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a 107-106 loss.
Over 69 regular-season games, all coming off the bench, Harper posted averages of 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He was sidelined in November due to a left calf strain sustained against Phoenix. In 23 playoff games, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
San Antonio won 62 games in the regular season. The Spurs beat Portland in the first round and eliminated the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, reaching the franchise's first Finals since 2014.
Harper was named to the All-Rookie First Team. The second overall pick in the 2025 draft did not finish in the top three of Rookie of the Year voting.
"I feel like I had a good year. We're human, there's definitely things I wish I could've gotten back, individually and as a team," Harper said. "I feel like the biggest thing for me is just staying composed and not getting into a headframe where it's like, 'You gotta do this, this and this immediately.' Just following the path and staying on the grind."
Harper's father, Ron Harper Sr., won five championships, three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played alongside Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
Harper was asked what his father made of the rookie season.
"I think it was more just telling me to keep growing as a player, as a person," Harper said. "I feel like his biggest message to me was to stay composed and stay poised. He understands the work I've put in on a day-to-day basis, so for him, what he told me was just stay ready, be ready when the time comes, and I feel like that's the type of mindset I've had all year."
The two are in Chicago together this week. Harper will make his first appearance at the National Sports Collectors Convention on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, joining eBay Live seller Blez for a Topps basketball break at the convention's eBay Arena. The 46th edition of the show runs at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center through August 2.
San Antonio returned the roster that made it to the Finals. On July 10, Wembanyama agreed to a five-year, $252 million extension, choosing the 25% maximum instead of the supermax, which could have paid him as much as $303 million. Prior to that, free-agent forward Tobias Harris signed a two-year contract. Harper and Stephon Castle are still on rookie-scale deals, with Castle able to extend next summer and Harper in 2028.
Harper responded to Devin Vassell's recent comments about his playing time and expressed confidence that he will excel in any role assigned by Spurs coach Mitch Johnson next season.
The NBA has not released its 2026-27 regular-season schedule.
