Every basketball player dreams of hearing their name called in the NBA Draft. In 2023, that dream became a reality for Dereck Lively. The Oklahoma Thunder had the #12 pick, and they chose Lively, but he was quickly traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks needed a big man, and they were sure to get a good one. The 7’1” center from Philadelphia was a star in high school which earned him a scholarship to play for Duke University. Lively battled through injuries at Duke which made him slide further in the draft, but the Mavericks quickly discovered that Lively was a steal at the #12 spot.

This image is autographed by Dereck Lively with a silver paint pen. Lively’s signature was witnessed by an Upper Deck Authenticated representative as part of UDA’s 5-step authentication process.