Dereck Lively II began his NBA career in 2023 after being selected as the 12th pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Despite being a rookie, Lively made a significant impact, helping the Mavs reach the NBA Finals last season, where they ultimately fell short against the Boston Celtics.
However, Lively’s journey was marked by personal tragedy, as he lost his mother, Kathy Drysdale, just before the playoffs. In the documentary “Clutch: The NBA Playoffs,” Lively spoke candidly about the emotional toll of his mother’s passing.
“My mom had NVS; it is a form of leukemia. I came back one night, and I looked her in the eye, and she wasn’t there. April 12th, she passed. I didn’t know what to do; I didn’t know how to react; I didn’t know where to go. Each and every single one of my teammates got up and said, ‘If you need anything, just let me know,” Lively said.
“My friends are my teammates. They’re the only people who see how I act; they can tell if I’m a little off, and they did, and they tried to make sure they could do anything they could to get my mind off things or even talk to me about it if I needed to,” he added.
Jason Kidd Praises Dereck Lively II’s Scoring Touch After Preseason Win
Dereck Lively II is entering his third season with the Mavs. Like his first two seasons, the Mavs star also put forward great performances during the Mavs preseason games. After the Mavs’ recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Jason Kidd quickly praised Lively’s skills, particularly his scoring ability around the rim.
“His touch around the rim with the baby hooks are really, really nice. To go to him in the post, I think that’s something that we can look to, especially with the space that we’ll have with guys on the perimeter,” Kidd said.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Lively, the critics of Rudy Gobert’s last season performance averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Dallas will kick off the season against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, October 24.
