Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II reportedly grew two inches over the summer and is now 7-foot-3. When the Mavericks selected the teenage center in the draft, he was already classified as 7-foot-1. Fans, however, were shocked by his unexpected turn of events and were incredulous.It's not the first time fans have seen a significant growth spurt from an NBA player. Early in Giannis Antetokounmpo's career, he was listed at 6-foot-9. Now, he's listed at 6-foot-11 and has been dominating the league ever since. After fans saw how tall Lively is ahead of the 2025-26 season, they couldn't help but reveal their thoughts. Here are some of what the fans said about the big man's growth."Sacrificed luka for this 😭" a fan said.Yoda @LEGOYoda0LINK@TheDunkCentral @coopmavs Sacrificed luka for this 😭"League is done 😭😭😭 clearest Mavs ring ever otw," another fan commented."streets saying the only thing that grew was his hair," one fan said.Other fans said that the Mavericks were using dark magic to help Dereck Lively grow taller."Kidd and Nico are using their dark magic during the offseason," someone commented.Bü @Bubu4yuLINK@TheDunkCentral @coopmavs Kidd and Nico are using their dark magic during the offseason."Mavs black magic continues and im here for it," a comment read."How do i learn this black magic at 32," one fan was curious.The Mavericks still need Lively to get officially measured before the start of the season. However, the 21-year-old big man told the media on Monday that he believes he has grown a couple of inches taller. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Lively is believed to be listed at around 7-foot-2 or 7-foot-3.There's a lot of "Duke Pride" in the Mavericks with Dereck Lively IIThe Mavericks boast a lot of players who were college stars before turning professional. Dereck Lively, Kyrie Irving, and Cooper Flagg are the three players on Duke University's roster. With the trio, they have built a sense of pride for being in the same program.University of Kentucky comes second in Dallas' locker room with Anthony Davis and PJ Washington. Lively revealed to the media that it has created a friendly rivalry within the team.“I can definitely say that Duke versus Kentucky is already started before the season even started,” the center said. “It's actually great having that little bit of competitive nature in the locker room and makes it that much more better when we play five-on-five.”Despite the light rivalry, the Mavericks have started to bond and develop chemistry on the court. Dallas is expected to be a threat in the Western Conference soon.Dereck Lively is expected to play a significant role for the team, as he's the projected starting center. He's coming off a stress fracture in his right ankle, which limited him to just 36 games last season.