Dylan Harper was drafted second total within the 2025 NBA Draft. Whereas at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights guard wore #2. Harper persevering with to put on #2 with the Spurs is a no brainer. However for a lot of, that #2 evokes tough recollections.
Kawhi Leonard wore #2 throughout his time with the Spurs. From 2011-2018, Leonard developed into among the best two-way gamers within the league. An incident involving Zaza Pachulia within the 2017 Western Convention Finals re-aggravated an ankle damage, stunting his profession. The next season, Leonard developed a proper quadriceps damage. He was sidelined for all however 9 video games within the 2017-2018 season. Tensions between Leonard and the Spurs group developed, ending with a commerce to the Toronto Raptors the place he made a full restoration, received one other title, and nailed down Finals MVP honors.
Ever since, Leonard’s exit from San Antonio has resonated negatively with Spurs followers. Throughout every return to The Alamo Metropolis, Leonard has been met with constant booing. A lot so, that Gregg Popovich took to the in-arena microphone and addressed the gang.
Leonard’s legacy with the Spurs stays a subject of controversy for followers. Since 2018, nobody has worn #2.
Dylan Harper has proven indicators of being the precise kind of participant that aligns with the Spurs tradition. His father, Ron Harper, had an NBA profession spanning fifteen years. His mom, Maria Pizarro, performed faculty ball on the College of New Orleans. She’s been an assistant coach at Don Bosco Prep the place Dylan attended.
Harper’s understanding of the sport paired together with his stage of maturity offers promise that he might in the future be the participant most related to #2.
The Spurs different draft choose this summer season is Carter Bryant, who will put on #11, the latest historical past of which is mired with controversy.
After going undrafted in 2016, Bryn Forbes earned himself a spot on the Spurs roster. He spent his first 4 seasons in San Antonio earlier than heading to Milwaukee and grabbing himself an NBA title with the Bucks. In 2023, Forbes signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was waived the next February. 4 days later he was arrested on suspicion of assault with bodily damage. The costs have been later dismissed.
A 12 months later he was arrested on fees of assault involving the mom of his youngsters. He has since maintained a low profile. Most not too long ago, he performed for Santeros de Aguada, a Puerto Rican basketball crew.
Admittedly, Forbes off-court altercations transpired whereas he was now not a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The controversy that befell the following #11 did in order the participant was making a reputation for himself in San Antonio.
In 2021, the Spurs used the twelfth choose within the draft to amass Josh Primo. Primo had made the SEC All-Freshman 12 months in his lone 12 months with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The younger man confirmed loads of promise because the Spurs started pushing a youth motion as a part of their rebuild. Sadly, based on Primo, he was coping with earlier trauma, and he was waived 4 video games into his second season whereas dealing with fees of indecent publicity, which have been finally dropped.
The outcome was a chink within the armor relating to the Spurs historical past of drafting and creating well-adjusted and upstanding gamers. Primo’s profile with the crew was instantly deleted and made a covert exit.
Jordan McLaughin wore #11 for the Spurs this season, however didn’t keep lengthy sufficient to make a lot of an affect on the fanbase.
Carter Bryant, thought of to be a steal within the draft on the fourteenth choose, already made splash with followers and staked his declare on neighborhood outreach. Bryant is a promising participant, able to leaving his stamp on the Silver & Black for a while to come back.
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