The San Antonio Spurs have been lucking out when it comes to drafting prospects over the past two years. The team has back-to-back Rookie of the Year awards thanks to the contributions of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. This year, too, they have a great chance with the overall #2 pick in Dylan Harper. Although the Harper draft generated a lot of excitement initially, the fan base seems conflicted now with a recent announcement that the 19-year-old has chosen to take over the history associated with Kawhi Leonard.

According to a recent report by Etienne Catalan, the Spurs have decided to give Dylan Harper the #2 jersey, famously won by Kawhi Leonard during his seven-year stint with side from San Antonio. #2 jersey had been unofficially retired after Leonard left in 2018, until now, as Harper will most likely wear it in the upcoming season. This has generated some interesting reactions from fans online. One fan tweeted, “The Spurs allow Dylan Harper to wear No. 2, via @EtienneCatalan The disrespect 👀” Even though Leonard’s split with San Antonio was ugly, some fans still harbour positive feelings for the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.

While Harper was getting backlash for pick #2, Michelle Beadle, the host of Run it Back, defended the former Rutgers star. In a X (formerly Twitter) post, Beadle took a stand for the rookie, writing, “Kawhi’s not bothered. We’re not bothered. The respect was damaged a bit. Time has passed. Things are cool now for most. But we don’t need to retire every jersey. Let the kid have his moment. Damn!”

Despite leading the Spurs to the 2014 NBA championship, Leonard’s status as a San Antonio legend took a big hit due to the manner of his exit. He reportedly had a falling out with the Spurs due to a disagreement over a quad injury he suffered in 2018. The relationship broke down to such an extent that Leonard demanded an immediate trade, which San Antonio granted, and he was sent to the Raptors. That’s the reason why Harper wearing the #2 jersey shouldn’t be a massive issue, according to Beadle.

Even Kawhi Leonard revealed in an interview that #2 wasn’t his first choice. Since his first choice was already taken, he went with Number 2 and has since stuck to it.  “Nah, when I was a kid, I wore number two,” Leonard said. “I think 15 was taken by the time I got drafted.” The 6x All-Star wore 15 during his college days, but that 15 was taken by veteran Matt Bonner at the time. On the other hand, Dylan Harper wore number 2 for Rutgers, plus his draft spot was 2nd. Now, one can understand what drew Harper to the #2 jersey.

Dylan Harper looks to continue the Rookie tradition started by Victor Wembanyama

As Cooper Flagg was all but certain to join the Mavs as the #1 pick before the draft, San Antonio zeroed in on Harper as the best of the rest and picked him up as the #2 pick. But Harper has some big legacy shoes to fill. As the son of 5x NBA champion Ron Harper, Dylan will come under some additional scrutiny as his every move on the court will be under the microscope. However, the 19-year-old rising star aims to carve out his own destiny, and he will have the support of one of the best players in the league to do that: Victor Wembanyama.

Straight after his selections, the Spurs posted a video of their 2023 Number 1 draft pick speaking with this year’s number 2 pick. “Hey, I play for the Spurs, my name is Vic,” Wembanyama was heard saying. Harper, still soaking it all in, can barely contain his excitement. “I know who you is, my name is Dylan. I think I am your teammate now. We lit man, this is going to be fun.” Wemby also showcased his leadership qualities in his introductory address to Harper.

“We gon’ work for sure,” he told his new running mate. “You should celebrate tonight…. Rest a bit and then we’re going to get to work.” Who better than Wembanyama to help you settle into the team? Spurs have won back-to-back Rookie of the Year titles, with Wemby himself winning it in 2024, followed by Stephon Castle this year. Now it’s up to Dylan Harper to continue this tradition and complete the three-peat. What do you think? Can Dylan Harper win the ROTY over the likes of Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.