LeBron James Put Dylan Harper's Father On Blast Before Knicks vs. Spurs Finals
As the San Antonio Spurs prepare for the NBA Finals, an old clip has resurfaced of LeBron James taking a shot at Ron Harper while commending Dylan Harper.
Dylan Harper helped the Spurs win their first Western Conference title since 2014, when they went on to defeat LeBron's Miami Heat for the NBA title. The 20-year-old averaged 11.8 points per game in his rookie season.
Back in April, James discussed the 2025-26 season's Rookie of the Year race with Steve Nash on an episode of his Mind The Game podcast. The Los Angeles Lakers star is a "big fan" of Dylan Harper, but he wasn't as complimentary toward Ron Harper.
"Dylan's great," James said. "I mean, his daddy ain't s**t, but he's great. I'll see him when I see him."
Explaining LeBron James/Ron Harper beef
LeBron's animosity toward Ron Harper could stem from a comment the former Lakers and Chicago Bulls guard made during the NBA's All-Star festivities in February. When asked if he envisioned both of his sons, Dylan and Ron Harper Jr., reaching the NBA, the five-time champion took an apparent dig at LeBron's parenting of Bronny James.
"I'm not LeBron James. I'm not going to tell my kids what they have do," Ron Harper said. "I just want them to play and enjoy the game, and whatever they can get back out of the ball game, take it."
Harper later labeled his Bulls teammate, Scottie Pippen, as the best small forward ever. He claimed Pippen was better at on-ball defending against all positions.
"LeBron can do it, but LeBron can't do it like (Pippen) can do it," Harper declared on the It Is What It Is podcast in April.
Dylan Harper relays father's advice
Ron Harper has plenty of NBA Finals experience, as he won three straight titles with the Bulls from 1996-98 and two more with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001. He waited until his 10th season to earn a ring, but Dylan can culminate his rookie campaign with a championship.
Dylan Harper has averaged 13.1 points per game with a 52.5 field-goal percentage this postseason. The No. 2 pick discussed his father's advice on handling the playoffs after San Antonio won the West with a Game 7 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"He just told me to be confident in myself, and there's a reason why I'm here," Dylan Harper said. "The job's not finished, and he's preached that to me throughout this whole playoffs and always telling me to do the little things. Make sure that I'm aggressive, and make sure at the end of the day, I leave it all out there."
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:25 PM.