Dereck Lively II would look to the stands after a big play, as was the norm, to see the smiling and excited face of his mom, only to realize that there wouldn’t be anyone standing in her place. It only takes a brief second for the young forward to remember that Kathy Drysdale, the former Penn State standout, passed away on April 12. Malika Andrews caught up with the Mavs rookie as he was getting ready for the crucial Game 3 tonight, tune in for live updates here. At the biggest stage of his career, his mother – the most influential person in his life – might not be with him physically. But Lively knows she is looking out for him. “I know I got my mom above me. I know she watching me.”

What was Dereck Lively II’s mom diagnosed with?

It was in 2013 that the former Lady Lion was diagnosed with cancer. More specifically, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma- an aggressive type of cancer that quickly spreads and limits the body’s ability to fight infection. However, it is one of the treatable ones, too. The hope of everything going back to normal must have been what kept the mother and son going, despite the side effects that came with the treatments.

And that was his mission when he declared for the NBA draft after just one season at Duke. He knew a career in the NBA would allow him to care for his mother better. Everything seemed to be going well until March. “Since we tried to do so many things to her body to get rid of the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma her DNA ended up being changed from all the radiation to the point that she started to develop Leukemia,” the 20-year-old explained on ESPN.

Before moving to Westtown School, Dereck Lively II was part of the Bellefonte Middle School. It was there that he fell in love with basketball. Sensing her son’s interest in her favorite sport growing, Kathy suggested the move to Westtown. However, during their time at Bellefonte, little Dereck had to deal with two tragedies. For one, his father passed away due to a heroin overdose.

“I went to the edge of the stairs and peered down. I see my father black and blue, lifeless on the floor. … You never get over it,” Lively recounted in an interview before Draft Night. Of course, he was only eight at the time and didn’t understand the cause. Nevertheless, he understood they wouldn’t see his dad anymore. Not too long after that, Kathy Drysdale sat Dereck down for an even harder conversation than his 10-year-old mind could comprehend – that she had cancer.

His mom, the “Goddess of Baseline,” the woman who played a key role in Penn State’s rise to the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll in 1991 (the first team in Northeast to do so), a steadfast defender, and sitting 22nd in the record book for 1,295 points, was going up against her toughest opponent.

And she succeeded in defeating, alas, only for a short period. In November 2015, after spending most of the year with chemo and radiation, Kathy received word that she was cancer-free. However, the symptoms returned in full force in 2016 and never went away.

“I could possibly lose my mom”: Dereck remembers the moment when he faced his biggest fear

“I came back from a game and it’s 4 in the morning. And I’m taking my mom to the ER because she’s yellow. She can’t move, she can’t eat. And that was kind of the start of when I knew I could possibly lose my mom. That’s been the biggest fear of my life,” Lively narrated the incident to Andrews.

But his mother was a fighter. Kathy fought for the better of her son and everyone surrounding her throughout her life. She continued that battle for 11 long years until finally, it was time. The Penn State alumnae passed away peacefully with the knowledge that she helped her son reach his goal. Any parent would have loved to watch their child dominate the biggest stage of their athletic career.

Nevertheless, the late Kathy Drysdale has sacrificed so much and fought to make ends meet, battling the biggest opponent of her life to hold on until she could watch her son enter the NBA court. “Dear Derek, you made it. Persevered, but you are not done yet. you’re not even close to being done yet. I love you,” Kathy had said. She couldn’t be more right.

Dereck Lively is only a rookie in the NBA. He is only 20 and the All-Rookie Second Teamer is already an integral part of the Dallas squad! There is no doubt that he would emerge as a standout star of the NBA before long. Because all he wants to do now is to make sure his “name is going to reach the heavens!“

But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

Don’t forget to check back in for more such updates from our ES Fancast!