"I truly lost a part of me" - Dereck Lively drops heartfelt Mother's Day post after crediting her for his fortitude

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively's mother, Kathy Drysdale, died on April 12 at the age of 53 after a decade-long battle with cancer. Today, he shared a heartfelt post to his mother.

Lively's mother has been battling with Hodgkin's lymphoma since 2013, with the Mavericks center continuing to push through it with her as one of the most challenging moments in their lives.

He shared his Mother's Day post on X that included an image of him at a young age alongside his mother.

"Loved you more than life itself, you were my superhero and my biggest hater," Lively said. "You were my partner in crime and my true best friend, I truly lost a part of me. I miss you more everyday but just watch me mama Imma make you proud. Love you mama."

Kathy Drysdale was a strong guiding presence for Dereck Lively when it came to his basketball aspirations. She played for Penn State's women's basketball team (1988-1992), and like her son, she also played center. In 2011, she returned to the university as its director of marketing for the athletics division.

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Dereck Lively talked about the calming nature of playing following his mother's death

During his return to team practice following his mother's death in April, Dereck Lively shared how stepping on the basketball court has helped him at this difficult stage in his life.

"There's a lot of things that's going on off the court that makes it hard to focus on the court," Lively said (via Mavs.com). "But whenever I get on the court it just seems like everything goes quiet and I can finally come back and have a moment with myself and I don't have to worry about anyone talking to me and telling me what to do."

Additionally, the Mavericks coach Jason Kidd credited the big man for how he has been handling everything going on in his life, especially with how heavy it has been off the court. His focus on the basketball court has allowed him to take a breather, where he has played some of his best basketball in his rookie year.

During pivotal stretches in Game 2 against the OKC Thunder in the playoffs, Dereck Lively was deliberately getting fouled by Thunder players due to being a 50.6% free throw shooter in the regular season. This was a tactical move by OKC to give themselves a chance to trim the deficit. However, in Game 3, Lively went 8-of-12 at the charity stripe to help secure a 105-101 win.

Following the game, the Mavericks big man shared what was going through his mind under all that pressure.

"She's watching me," Lively said (via Dallas News). "I know she's telling me to make the damn free-throws, so step up and make them. I know my momma got me."

In this year's postseason run, Dereck Lively is averaging 7.7 points (55.6% shooting), 5.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. The rookie was selected 12th overall by the OKC Thunder but moved to Dallas in exchange for Davis Bertans and the No. 10 pick.