Into his junior NBA season, Dereck Lively II is already playing the role of teacher for the Mavs' highly touted rookie.
Mavericks center embracing 'mentor role' for rookie Cooper Flagg originally appeared on The Sporting News
Somehow securing the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft despite a drastically low chance of doing so, the Dallas Mavericks took full advantage of the situation, drafting Duke Blue Devils superstar Cooper Flagg with the first pick, seemingly making up for the drama in February that went down during the blockbuster Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade that broke the internet.
As the Flagg era begins in Dallas, many of his teammates are fully embracing the young star's presence, most notably Mavs center Dereck Lively II, a Duke alumnus who is almost no more than a rookie himself, about to compete in his third NBA season, and seems to be taking somewhat of a teacher role to the no. 1 pick.
"We welcomed Coop with open arms,” Lively said. “I called him earlier today — he’s always smiling, always cracking a joke. I’m making sure he feels as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or advice. I remember how frightened I was at 19. He’s only 18," said Lively, via the Dallas Hoops Journal.
Not only could Lively's experience be helpful to Flagg, it could lead him to individual success, as Lively was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2024.
And the leadership exhibited by the young Mavs center is also very evident in his off-court work as well, as the Philly native is well aware of how important it is to give back to the people that made him a star in the first place.
“We’re not superheroes, we’re people,” Lively said. “A lot of kids in Dallas look up to NBA players. We just gotta show them how much of a person we are. You can come up and give us a hug, we’re going to hug you back.”
Needless to say, landing the reigning AP National College Basketball Player of the Year in this year's draft has the future looking bright for Jason Kidd's team.
Category: Basketball
