He is the youngest player in this year's NBA Finals and the Mavericks' new generation of inside gates
When the Mavericks defeated the Thunder to advance to the Western Conference Finals, Lively held his arms high and unaware, he looked up to heaven and told his heavenly mother, "Mom, I did it, did you see it?" "As a rookie, it's hard to believe that he can face the defenses of DPOY Gobert and Towns on the stage of the Western Conference finals, creating a miracle of 100 percent shooting in a single-round series. And what's even more surprising is the bumpy story behind him
Derek Lively II is a high-profile basketball player whose story is full of tenacity and struggle. Born on February 12, 2004, when he was 7 years old, his father, Daderick, died of a drug overdose due to drug dependence during treatment for heart disease. Lively's mother, Drysdale, was a star player in the Pennsylvania State women's basketball team, and after graduating from college, she worked for the 76ers for 13 years, working in game operations. Despite such a major family upheaval, Dressdale held up the family with maternal love, tenacity and courage.
Drysdale took Lively to basketball, and she encouraged Lively that basketball is not just about scoring, but also about grabbing rebounds, blocks, and covering for teammates in many other ways to help the team. Lively developed the habit of getting up early to train from an early age, and he remembered his mother's words, "The earlier you get up, the more you can practice".
However, bad luck struck again, and when Levery was 10 years old, his mother was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. But Drysdale didn't give up, she asked the doctor to make a treatment plan and promised her son that she would fight to the end. Despite her tough battle with cancer, she continued to stay out of training and racing at Lively. Knowing that his mother's condition was relieved to a great extent on July 9, 2020, he tattooed this important day on his left leg through tattoos.
What is perseverance and positivity? I think Lively and his mother were. In the face of fate, they did not complain, and their mother worked hard to fight cancer. Lively turned his grief into strength and put all his energy into basketball. Lively has shown great ability in basketball, and he has been particularly hard defensively. Despite his shortcomings, he can do a lot on the court.
After graduating from high school, Lively chose Duke University, a basketball powerhouse, and although he scored in double figures in just five of Duke's 34 games, he ranked first in the division in defensive efficiency and was named to the All-Defensive Team. After the NCAA opened up player name and image rights to commercialize, Lively received a sponsorship that he used to build a new tombstone for his father and a house for his mother. In March 2024, Dressdale's condition suddenly deteriorated. She sadly passed away on April 12, leaving the 20-year-old Lively with the loss of two close relatives. At that time, the regular season was coming to an end and the playoffs were about to begin, and Lively knew that his mother didn't want him to be decadent, so in the first game of the playoffs, Lively decided to return with an injury.
What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. When Lavery returns to the Circle, you can barely see a trace of sadness on his face. He is also, as always, the most lively presence in the team. After beating the Clippers and Nuggets, Lively will face the Timberwolves with two towers. At first, Towns and Gobert were full of disdain for the rookie, but as they followed, they found that Lively's style of play was calm and mature, and he had an innate ability to judge accurately on the defensive end. In the Western Conference Finals, he shot 16-of-16, setting a record for 100% shooting in an NBA playoff single-round series.
The Mavericks surprised everyone and defeated the Timberwolves to reach the Finals. And this rookie youngster who lost his mother did not disappoint his mother. It will continue to fight in the name of its mother. Little did anyone know that Lively wasn't the core of the Mavericks, but he was already an integral part of the team. The rebounds on both offensive and defensive ends, the assists after Doncic and Irving attracted the packs, and the dirty work on the defensive end, Lively took it all. Give everything he can for the team and give all his energy.
When the Finals reached the fourth quarter of Game 3, the Mavericks trailed the Celtics by 21 points, and the big score was already 0-2. The American Airlines Center in Dallas was without the deafening cheers and some spectators had already left, and with such a big difference, it looked like the big picture was decided. At this moment, most of the Mavericks fans and players are already depressed. But the 20-year-old rookie rushed into the coach's ear and broke the silence.
"We can't just lose confidence, we have 11 minutes left in this game, we can still chase it back!" Lively shouted excitedly. Everyone looked at the youngster in surprise, although Lively is usually a person who has the courage to express himself, but on the battlefield of the finals, as a rookie, it is rare to stand up and encourage the whole team.
In his post-match interview, Owen said: "Lively got us back in our spirits and got back on the pitch and kept fighting. After this timeout, the Mavericks launched a wave of 22-2 chasing points, narrowing the gap to 1 point at one point, although they failed to make a big comeback in the end, but this process of catching up allowed them to continue to maintain confidence
Perhaps Lively's speech touched and inspired the whole team. In the G4 game, the Mavericks were all soldiers, and they defeated the Celtics 122-84 in the whole game. All five members of the Mavericks scored in double figures, including three off the bench. With 6:14 left in the first quarter, Lively hit a three-pointer from Doncic's pass in the bottom corner, his first three-pointer in his NBA career. In this game, Lively came off the bench to dominate the interior, contributing 11 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes, and scored a double-double in the Finals for the second consecutive game. Lively, meanwhile, grabbed 152 rebounds in the playoffs, the most for a rookie rebound since 1980.
After the game, Lively spoke to reporters about the three points he hit in the game, and Lively said with some emotion: "It's for my mom, she helped me shoot this shot, she can help me shoot more, and free throws." I'm happy to score this and hopefully the next one. ”
Although the Mavericks ultimately lost to the Celtics, we don't have to worry about Lively anymore. In Lively himself, he's been through the scariest thing in his life, and now he's fearless. We're sure to see a stronger Maverick, a stronger Lively next season
The story of this rookie has inspired so many people, and he has always maintained his tenacity and love for basketball in the face of life's difficulties, and has interpreted the spirit of tenacious struggle with practical actions. Heaven took away his mother, but what he couldn't take away was the tenacity and unyielding nature that his mother left in Lively's bones.