Dallas Basketball

Dereck Lively, OMax Prosper Embracing Mavs Rookie Brotherhood

Dallas Mavericks' rookies Dereck Lively II and OMax Prosper are ready to take the NBA by storm ... together.

Michael Mulford

In what will be a crucial offseason to the future of the Dallas Mavericks, it definitely got off to a good start on draft night with the selections of Duke center Dereck Lively II and Marquette forward OMax Prosper.

In Monday's introductory press conference, both Lively and Prosper spoke on being selected by the Mavericks and how happy they are to go on this rookie journey together in Dallas.

“I just remember being so happy that I’m not alone in this,” Lively said. “I got someone else to go through this with me.”

"We're going through this at the same time,' Prosper said. "That moment where I saw him, I don't know it was kind of a spark there. We just connected."

In the press conference, both rookies showcased a impressive amount of maturity and gratitude for not just their path to the NBA but knowing the work it's going to take to make an impact at the next level with the Mavericks, which is something Lively and Prosper are looking forward to conquering together. 

"We're the same draft class and we could play many years here together and grow and build that connection over the years," Prosper said.

“I got someone to go through the highs and lows with me so I know he will be my brother through this and I’ll be his,” Lively said of Prosper. 

Sounds like it's time to start workshopping some nicknames for Dallas' rookie duo.

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Michael Mulford
MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.

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