Inside The Spurs

Victor Wembanyama's Alley-Oop Dunk From Dylan Harper Goes Viral in Spurs-Jazz

The first alley-oop connection between San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama made waves on social media Friday night.

Matt Guzman

Oct 10, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić (30) during the first half at Frost Bank Center.
Oct 10, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić (30) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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With less than a minute to play in the first half of the San Antonio Spurs' preseason matchup against the Utah Jazz, rookie point guard Dylan Harper caught a pass near half-court before launching it toward the rim. Wembanyama caught it easily and flushed it even easier.

"Being a point guard, seeing him and (thinking about) all the lobs you can throw," Harper said of Wembanyama ahead of the NBA Draft in June, "he can bail you out of a lot of spots. How much he impacts the game is amazing."

It didn't take Harper long to see it first-hand.

Harper-Wembanyama Lob Goes Viral

Entering Friday night's contest, Harper expressed a need to shake off any nerves he had for his first official NBA action.

"First-game jitters," Harper said at shootaround, "but (I've) just (got to go) out there, play hard. Focus on the defensive side and go with the flow of the game. Don't try to force anything."

The rookie underwent surgery in early September to correct a partially torn ligament in his left thumb ahead of training camp. His ramp-up, according to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, was fairly simple.

“Dylan is doing well," Johnson assured on Media Day. "That’ll be a pretty straightforward ramp-up in terms of getting (his thumb) to the point where it can have contact and be ready to be in a game.”

Harper looked back to full health on his lob to Wembanyama.

The Spurs finished the first half on an 18-5 run to take a 72-55 lead to the locker room. Wembanyama led the charge with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Devin Vassell — in his second preseason game — and Keldon Johnson followed close behind. The pair notched 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Harper ended the half with an efficient nine points and two assists. One came on his lob to Wembanyama, and the other on a pass near the rim for the Spurs' newest big man, Luke Kornet.

Through two quarters, the point guard proved to be an effective passer. He also looked to be in better shape compared to Summer League, when he was coming off a four-month basketball hiatus following the end of Rutgers' season.

The Spurs only hope he can continue to find his rhythm.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI. In the world of professional sports, he’s a firm believer that athletes are people, too. He aims to spotlight the true, behind-the-scenes character of players and teams through strong narrative writing and sharp, hooking ledes.

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