Hours before the final regular season home game of the Dallas Mavericks, Dereck Lively II had announced the passing of his mother, Kathy Drysdale, after a prolonged battle with cancer. Since then, the 20-year-old Center has been dedicating his performances to his mother with heartwarming messages for his beloved deceased.
After the WCF win on Thursday over the Timberwolves, Dereck Lively did the same and left a heartfelt message for his mother. On his Instagram story, Lively wrote, “Just keep watching from above” as the picture showed a celebratory Mavs dressing room scene.
Lively made himself a pivotal piece in the Mavs’ success this season with his supreme frontcourt command and rebounding prowess. In the 55 regular-season games, Lively scored 8.8 points per game from an impressive 74.7% shooting, coupled with 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The numbers also translated into the postseason, with 8.6 PPG and 7.2 rebounds.
His importance to the Mavs’ success is widely recognized by his peers and following the game on Thursday, Luka Doncic gave the ultimate stamp of approval on the former Duke center’s performance.
Dereck Lively Earns Respect From Luka Doncic in Classy Gesture
Luka Doncic is having a monstrous season with the Dallas Mavericks. After dominating the WCF series, the Slovenian was justifiably awarded the Magic Johnson MVP trophy.
Following the award ceremony, when Doncic returned to the locker room, the guard offered his WCF MVP award to his young teammate, Dereck Lively.
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Of course, Dereck Lively rejected the classy offer, but this shows how much Doncic values his teammate’s efforts throughout the postseason.
With both conference finals wrapped, all eyes will be on the NBA Finals, where the Mavs will take on the Boston Celtics.
