It has been a rough couple of weeks for Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II. After over a decade-long battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Lively’s mother, Kathy Drysdale, passed away on April 12. But despite going through a battle in his personal life, Dereck has not let that affect his performance on the court. And he proved it with his playoff career-high 13-point performance in tonight’s Game 3 win against the Clippers. However, to get through this tough time, Lively has received a ton of support from the Mavs franchise, especially from former Champion Tyson Chandler.

Taking the role of a Player Development Coach for the Mavs in 2021, Chandler has helped several young players on the roster elevate their game. Developing his talent under Chandler’s wing, Dereck also spends many good hours with the former Champion. And not only does Chandler help him improve his game, but also copes with the adversity he is facing in his personal life. After tonight’s win, Lively revealed Tyson’s influence in his life, “I love playing basketball each day, but it’s hard to wake up whenever there’s a lot of things going on in my off-court life. But he’s been able to help me keep my head on my two shoulders, help me stay focused.”

Time and again, established superstars and coaches have talked about the importance of being a good experienced leader and mentor for a young athlete. And Chandler’s impact on Lively’s life perfectly describes that relationship. Playing the same position as Chandler, even the legend sees the resemblance between him and Lively. “Very athletic, young kid. He reminds me of myself a lot.” Tyson said about Lively on All The Smoke Podcast.

Can Dereck Lively II carry Tyson Chandler’s legacy?

Now that Dereck Lively is learning from the best, the Mavs would hope that he will generate the same success as Tyson Chandler did in his prime. A defensive anchor for the Dallas Mavericks during their 2011 Championship run, Chandler played a huge role alongside Dirk Nowitzki, to lead the Mavs to their first title in franchise history. Just a year later, Chandler also took home the DPOY trophy by averaging 1.4 blocks and nearly double digits in rebounds. Moreover, he also averaged almost one steal that season, which is pretty impressive for a 7-footer.

From his experience, Chandler understood how much the Mavs needed a defensive big like Dereck Lively II. He said in an interview, “They definitely, definitely needed [him]. That’s always been the missing key for the Mavs, a defensive-anchor Center.” Even Lively is thrilled to learn from a mentor of similar height for the first time in his life, “You know, I’ve never actually been coached by a big. I’ve never been coached by someone who’s (a seven-footer), somebody who’s been in this game, who knows the details, the tricks, the nitty-gritty things.”

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And the 20-year-old is already starting to show signs of greatness in his rookie year. By averaging 8.8 points along with 1.4 blocks and nearly seven rebounds, Lively proved the Mavs can benefit a lot from pairing him with Luka and Kyrie. Hopefully, he can help bring another Championship to Dallas, just like his mentor Tyson Chandler did over a decade ago.