‘Calling Him UNC Is Crazy,’ ‘We Know the Real (Answer)’ — NBA World Reacts As Dylan Harper Clears Air on Relationship With Spurs Co-Star De’Aaron Fox
· Yahoo Sports
The San Antonio Spurs are suffering from success in their backcourt. They feature a team that consists of three All-Star caliber guards: De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle.
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Conversations during the Spurs’ playoff run last season pitted Harper and Fox against one another, with playing time being a topic of debate. Months later, Harper has dismissed rumors of friction between him and Fox.
Dylan Harper Doesn’t Want Any ‘Beef’ Narratives To Start Between Him And De’Aaron Fox
In his conversation with Scoop B Robinson, Harper said, “What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained,” regarding the internet rumors of turmoil brewing between him and Fox.
“Fox basically took me under his wing my whole first year and helped me and allowed me to grow in this space… Me and him never had a problem,”Harper continued. “I don’t have anything bad to ever say about him because, at the end of the day, he’s taught me so much… Me and him have a great relationship where it’s like… he’s kind of my uncle.”
Hearing Harper’s take on the rumors, the NBA community chimed in with their takes.
One Spurs fan breathed a sigh of relief, writing, “Finally get to see rival fanbase stop shaking and begging for Harper to request out.”
“The ‘Harper wants out’ gimmick was funny at first, but the people who were serious never thought about why any reasonable NBA player would want out of a chance at winning a championship every year,” another user wrote.
Currently in the second year of his rookie-scale contract, asking out of a team as a sophomore would not sit well with the Spurs or rival front offices.
Anotheruser declared, “I’m very grateful to have 2 all-star caliber PGs on the court at all times next season. Deepest team in the league.”
A Celtics fanpage latched on to the ‘uncle’ comment from Harper and hilariously pointed out, “Calling him unc is crazy.”
“Shutting rumors down in a heartbeat but never missing an opportunity to call him old,” another user remarked.
This isn’t the first time Harper’s called Fox ‘unc’ as he hilariously did so during media availability amid the NBA Finals. The 2-time All-Star defended himself, saying, “Funny enough, I’m actually a literal uncle. I’m not an unc in the sense that I’m old.”
“I love watching the Roomer (rumor) Mill fall apart around San Antonio. I also love how the youngins are locked in and not worried about outside chatter,” anotheruser chimed in.
However, some did not see Harper’s admission as innocent.
“De’Aaron Fox is only 28. Saying that he’s like an uncle is code for ‘get this bum out of my starting spot,’ lol,” one detractor remarked
“Good PR answer we know the real tho,” another user claimed.
Calls for Harper needing to start over Fox came after Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson refused to bench the 28-year-old despite him performing worse than the rookie in the Finals.
Games 1, 4, and 5 showcased an inability from Fox to adapt to the New York Knicks’ perimeter length. While Harper went on to drop 25 points in Game 5, Fox had merely 7 points on 3-15 shooting and couldn’t find a way to get to the charity stripe.
It’s unclear if there’s unsaid tension between the two star guards that’s being kept behind closed doors. Before Game 1 of the Finals in June, Harper expressed a great deal of love for him, crediting Fox for “mentoring” him, and how “every team would love to have him.”
Coach Johnson will have quite a bit on his plate next season, with a significant bit of spotlight on the Harper-Fox decision.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.