THE possibility of seeing Dylan Harper in a Philippine jersey one day remains very much alive.
Fresh off punching his ticket to the NBA Finals in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs, the Filipino-American guard left the door open to representing the country in international competition down the road.
Asked about the prospect of suiting up for the Philippines after San Antonio's seven-game Western Conference Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harper welcomed the idea while stressing where his immediate focus lies.
“I think my focus is just on this next game, this next series,” said Harper.
“Obviously, it's a blessing to represent the Philippines and where I'm from. So I mean, I think me and Jordan Clarkson do a great job of doing that. But my biggest thing is just focusing on what's in front of me.”
For now, what beckons for the 20-year-old rising star is the biggest stage in basketball.
The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper with Filipina wife Maria has enjoyed a dream start to his professional career, helping guide the Spurs back to the Finals while positioning himself to become an NBA champion before even turning 21.
Standing between Harper and the NBA title is the New York Knicks, led by another player familiar to Filipino fans in Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson previously suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup in Manila and remains one of the most recognizable Fil-American players in the game.
This year's NBA Finals guarantees that a player of Filipino descent will become a champion, whether it is Harper lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy with San Antonio or Clarkson ending New York's 53-year title drought.
As exciting as the possibility of a future Gilas stint may be, Harper made it clear that those conversations can wait.
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