INDIANAPOLIS — Practice has come to a close for the Rising Stars, and unsurprisingly, most of the attention in Gainbridge Fieldhouse was training on 7-5 Victor Wembaneyama.
That was until Mavericks rookie Derek Lively popped up from midcourt.
“Wow!” he exclaimed as he trotted around the court, throwing his right arm in the air triumphantly.
It's a brief but memorable moment that symbolizes Lively's first NBA season, his surprisingly indelible impact on the Mavericks, and his presence in 7f1 during his first All-Star weekend. It was a very good method.
From the moment she arrived for Friday night's preview of the Panini Rising Stars mini-tournament, late-night practice and interviews, Lively was noticeably talkative, poised, and confident, but not cocky. There wasn't. Clearly he knew he deserved it and soaked up every moment of his experience.
“There are a lot of people who wish they could be here,” he says. “So you have to be grateful for the position you’re in.”
Don't get me wrong. Lively earned his way here to Indianapolis, averaging 9.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, helping Dallas to a 23-14 record in games played.
It was just a treat, made even sweeter by the fact that he traveled here on a private plane with his mother, Kathy Drysdale, in tow. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. and the franchise's social media team.
Sure, this was an opportunity for Lively to prove himself on one of the NBA's biggest stages of the year, but it was also an opportunity for him to reflect on himself.
“I feel like it takes a little bit of time to catch my breath and get my bearings and realize what I have to do next,” he said.
San Antonio sensation Wenbang Yama, who turned 20 on Jan. 4, Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero are the hottest of the 24 rising stars. However, Lively and the Mavericks have recent wins over all three players.
And Friday, 114 days after Lively defeated Wenbang Yama in his NBA debut in San Antonio. Considering Lively was the 12th overall pick, there's even more reason to be proud of Lively's recent memorable season.
He broke his nose in three places in the games against Orlando and Banchero on January 29, but he came back and achieved a come-from-behind victory. He missed the next seven games and missed the night of his 20th birthday on February 12, when he was serenaded with a “Happy Birthday” by the fans at American Airlines Center.
“Being able to get a start as a rookie. Being able to be an impact player. Helping impact a win,” Lively said when asked about his proudest accomplishment. “I was able to earn the respect and trust of my teammates.
“And just being able to go out and laugh with each other and have fun. That's definitely what I loved. That's what's important. That's why I love what I do. More effective on the offensive end. I want to be able to become more popular and have more influence.”
Wednesday's win over the Spurs at American Airlines Center marked Lively's first return to action wearing a black mask since breaking his nose and undergoing a procedure to reset it. .
For several days, there were concerns that he would miss the Rising Stars mini-tournament. One of the fractures occurred at the top of Lively's nose. His remaining two occurred on the right side.
“So it’s like everything just switched,” he said. “It was the worst.”
challenging? of course. But Lively, who was born in Philadelphia, lost her father to a cocaine and heroin overdose at the age of 7, and in more recent years watched her mother battle Hodgkin's lymphoma, so the story runs deeper than most. He has determination and vision. As such, Lively lives and plays by this motto.
“It's East Coast hustle,” he said. “There's always going to be a lot of things stacked against you. There's going to be a lot of things that are going to be pushed at you all the time. But you have to be able to get through it. You can't just wander by and do the work that needs to be done.” You have to be able to carry and execute.”
Fellow Philadelphia native and rising star AAU teammate Jalen Duren recalled Friday that when Lively was 6 or 7 years old, he could barely walk and chew gum at the same time. .
“He's right,” Lively said with a laugh. “I got dunked on so many times, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop playing basketball. So I just kept grinding. I kept playing.”
Lively said he became a TV basketball fan relatively late. His most memorable memory from his first All-Star weekend was watching Zach LaVine defeat Aaron Gordon in the 2016 dunk contest.
Lively said the NBA legends he most wants to meet this weekend are former Sixers stars Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal.
But he mostly plans to follow the advice of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and teammate Luka Doncic: relax and soak up the experience. Kidd played for the 1995 edition of the Rising Stars, and Doncic played in 2018 and 2019.
Doncic, a fifth-time All-Star, will return from Indianapolis and bring attention back to a Mavericks team that is riding a six-game winning streak after acquiring Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in the trade.
“They fit together perfectly,” Lively said of Gafford and Washington. “We're starting to build chemistry and we're starting to build trust with our new teammates.
“So I know I'm going to be able to come back from this All-Star break and be able to go to the gym and plan and game plan and move forward.” And some dubs. Please get it.
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