Portland – Dylan Harper made an impression on Stephen Curry.
The star player who signed with Rutgers was one of the standouts among more than a dozen elite players who attended the eighth annual camp of NBA greats last summer, along with future college teammate Ace Bailey. He also earned the honor of being a camp all-star. But it wasn't Harper's play that stuck with Curry most, but the confidence he exuded throughout.
Harper, who was picked up by multiple publications during the two-day camp, first talked about his game plan when guarding Curry, saying, “Let him slip, put pressure on him…I'm not going to back down.” After explaining and then keeping it, he didn't score, so he let the crowd know.
“My only job today was to keep Steph from scoring on me, and I did that…Steph never scored on me. Where is he? ? You should be able to join the league!”
Seven months later, after leading the Golden State Warriors to a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers with an impressive fourth-quarter performance, Curry was smiling as he recounted the story.
“Dylan was especially interesting because he guarded me on a couple of pickup runs that we had, so I might not have been able to score from him,” he said Thursday when asked by New Jersey Advance Media. In response he said: “He was counting my stats, and you love that competitiveness because they're there to get better.”
Harper and Bailey felt like they made progress after four practice sessions throughout Bay Area camp last August. The two participated in several similar events over the summer, but this trip will see them share the court with the Hall of Famer and NBA legend.
After seeing Curry up close, they were shocked by what happened next.
– His work ethic: “I watched him work out for 45 minutes, and it was the toughest 45-minute workout I've ever seen,” Harper said.
– The consistency of his iconic shots: “He's like a robot. He doesn't change. It's the same shot every time,” Bailey said.
– His off-ball movement: “His conditioning is phenomenal. He was able to move around and shoot every shot on the court,” Harper said.
– His message: “Always be consistent in everything you do. Train, keep everything sharp and just keep working. Not everyone has a chance to succeed, so Just understand that and move forward and keep trying,” Bailey said.
“One of the best shooters of all time. He gave back, gave tips, showed us how the game works and how it works. It was just a blessing,” Bailey added. “That's the goal, to be in the position he's in, so playing against him brings me one step closer to my dream.”
Curry has seen multiple alumni of his camp become NBA teammates (James Wiseman and Nico Mannion) and opposing players in the nearly 10 years since he started the camp. Dennis Smith Jr., a five-star guard who attended North Carolina State University before being drafted No. 9 overall by the Dallas Mavericks, was the star of the first round of camp. Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, was the most eye-catching player to date.
He saw Bailey and Harper, who were recognized as the best players in the event, and saw the same potential in their futures.
“There's obviously a reason why they have the top talent in the country,” Curry said. “When they come to camp, we tell them we want to be a part of their story as they continue to climb the ladder. I hope it improves.”
These talents earned Harper and Bailey a trophy and a photo with Curry after camp, giving them renewed confidence that they are on the right track. And they heard a touching message from an NBA great. “Don't be complacent.”
“(Bailey and Harper) were obviously talented, but there's only so far talent can take you,” Curry said. “What's your psychology? How much can you improve? How hard can you push? Can you get coaching? They showed it.”
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Brian Fonseca can be contacted at: bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
