Former Don Bosco, Rutgers star Dylan Harper advances to NBA Finals

Two years after winning a state title at Don Bosco, Dylan Harper is headed the NBA Finals.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on May 30 to punch their ticket to face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals.

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Harper, a 6-foot-5 guard, was the No. 2 pick in last year's NBA Draft. He scored 1,646 career points in his high school career − half of his freshman season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic − before starring at Rutgers for one season.

He scored 26 points in the 2024 Non-Public A state final as Don Bosco beat Paul VI, 56-29, to finish the season on a 19-game winning streak. Longtime Ironmen coach Kevin Diviero called Harper "the best player we’ve ever had at the school” after the win.

The Spurs enter the finals coming off a grueling seven-game series against the defending-champion Thunder. The Knicks will be well-rested after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, part of an 11-game winning streak dating back to Game 4 of the first round.

Dylan's father, Ron Sr., won five NBA championships during a 14-year NBA career, winning three with the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls and two with the Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers. Dylan's older brother, Ron Jr., also starred at Don Bosco and Rutgers and now plays for the Boston Celtics.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Dylan Harper, Spurs on to NBA Finals - rookie from Don Bosco, Rutgers