“She helped me make it!” Dereck Lively credits mother after scoring first three-pointer in NBA career

Dereck Lively scored a double-double in Game 4 of the NBA finals.

“She helped me make it!” Dereck Lively credits mother after scoring first three-pointer in NBA career

Dereck Lively credited his late mother for his first career three-pointer

Dereck Lively‘s addition to the Dallas Mavericks has been strongly beneficial for the team. The rookie is a key role player and fulfills his job perfectly on the basketball court. The 20-year-old is only getting better as he helped the Mavericks win Game 4 and also made the first three-pointer of his professional career.

Lively shocked the viewers as he made a corner three-pointer in the first quarter. The play ended up becoming significant for the Mavericks as Lively took away the Boston Celtics’ last lead of the game with that shot. In the post-game press conference, when asked about achieving the milestone, the rookie credited his late mother. 

It's for her. She helped me made it. She's gonna help me make a lot more.
Dereck Lively said

After dedicating the shot to his mother, Lively added that she also helps him in other ways while playing. From making free throws to making reads, he claimed his mother is behind everything. The Dallas Mavericks rookie also expressed gratitude to Luka Doncic for passing him the ball and he managed to deliver.

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Dereck Lively‘s mother Kathy Drysdale passed away earlier in April due to cancer. Ever since her passing, Lively has always expressed feeling her presence around him. As he talked about her contribution to his free throws, Lively previously claimed he heard his mother while he was going through a Hack-A-Shaq situation.

Dereck Lively sent a message to his mother after making it to the finals

Making it to the NBA Finals in his rookie season is a huge achievement, and Lively undoubtedly deserved it. The 20-year-old had an incredible performance in the Western Conference Finals. Lively shot 100% from the field, breaking the record for the most field goals made in an NBA playoff series without a miss.

The team’s collective effort led them to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 and qualify for the next round. During that time as well, Lively did not forget to acknowledge his mother, posting an Instagram story in her honor. As the Mavericks celebrated the win, Lively posted a video tribute to his mother, writing, “Just keep watching from above.”

After the conference finals, Lively continued to help the Mavericks in his first NBA Finals. He was crucial in Game 4, recording a consecutive double-double in just 22 minutes. Lively scored eleven points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. The rookie will need to deliver more performances like this for the Mavericks to win it all.

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