"It's hard, man": Mavs' 20-year-old rookie Dereck Lively II gets honest about his emotions after losing both parents

Dereck Lively II has had a rough month both as a basketball player and as the only son of Dereck Lively and Kathy Drysdale. The Dallas Mavericks rookie sat out his team’s final eight regular-season games after suffering a sprained right knee on Mar. 31 against the Houston Rockets. He returned in time for Game 1 against the LA Clippers, but everyone knew that he had a heavy heart leading into the series opener.

While he was trying to recover from said injury, the former Duke star also had to deal with the death of his mother. Drysdale died on Apr. 12 after more than a decade of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He went on Instagram a day after she died to remember and appreciate her.

After the Dallas Mavericks practiced in Los Angeles, Dereck Lively II talked to the media and opened up about the recent events in his life:

“Man, it’s hard, man. It’s hard being able to just try to not move on, but kind of just not act like nothing happened.

“But you got to be able to keep it moving. That’s kind of what my mom would want me to do. That’s kind of what my mom would want me to do. That’s kind of what she was doing throughout the whole time.”

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Lively hasn’t been with a father since he was eight. The lanky center has shared a few times that all he remembers with his dad are the good times. He said that he could still recall his “goofiness” and laughter. The elder Lively died due to cocaine and heroin overdose in 2012.

Since then, it has been Dereck Lively II and his mom Kathy Drysdale who trudged on in life. Two years after his father died, Drysdale was diagnosed with cancer. His road to the NBA was by no means an easy path.

Dereck Lively II wrote a moving farewell message to his mom on Instagram

A day after Kathy Drysdale breathed her last, Dereck Lively II shared his emotions on Instagram. He wrote a moving letter saying goodbye to her and describing the kind of woman she was for those who didn’t know her.

“My heart breaks saying goodbye to the most important person in the world to me, my best friend, my superhero, my biggest cheerleader and mom, Kathy Drysdale.

"There is no one in this world that can love you more than your mother. As strong and stubborn as she is I have watched her struggle, fight and survive cancer for the past 11 years and now her battle has ended surround by family, friends and her teammates.”

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd noted how mature Dereck Lively II was in dealing with his heartbreaking off-court battles. But Kidd added that his top rookie is ready to help his team in the series, as basketball is where Lively said he has found some solace.

The LA Clippers, behind Ivica Zubac’s inside dominance, drubbed the Dallas Mavericks 109-97 in Game 1. Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Dallas’ frontline will have to play much better if they want to return to Texas bringing a tied series.

Lively has his inspiration with him, and he has found refuge in basketball. The Mavericks will benefit from that against the Clippers in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.