Kathy Drysdale, the mother of Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively II, died Friday after a decade-long battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Lively announced his mother’s passing in an Instagram post less than two hours before the Mavericks-Pistons game in American Airlines Center. The Mavericks held a moment of silence in the arena after pregame introductions, and Lively was present, wearing the Mavericks jersey his mother wore, with Drysdale on the back.
“My heart breaks saying goodbye to the most important person in the world to me, my best friend, my superhero, my biggest cheerleader and mom,” Lively wrote.
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The Dallas Mavericks also released a statement:
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by this loss. On behalf of our organization and our team, we would like to send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Drysdale family who are faced with an unimaginable loss. So much of Kathy, her strength, tenacity, and joy, is reflected in her son. She left an indelible mark on each of us within the Dallas Mavericks organization and all those who were fortunate enough to spend time with her. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dereck and his entire family.”
