DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are preparing to play the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals. The health of rookie center Dereck Lively II will be a talking point heading into Game 1, as he suffered a neck sprain during the Western Conference Finals. Lively missed Game 4 as a result but returned for Game 5 of the series. So how is Lively feeling at the moment with the NBA Finals just a few days away?

“I'm great,” Lively said, before showing how “great” he is feeling as seen in the above-posted video. “Everyone is going to ask, everyone has been asking for the past couple days if I'm alright. You know, if I'm going to get hit in the head… I'm going to still get back up.”

The Mavs' only loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals occurred during his Game 4 absence. He will certainly play a pivotal role in the NBA Finals. Having him healthy will be of the utmost importance. The fact that Lively returned for Game 5 was already a positive update, and this latest update only adds to the optimism around his status for Game 1 in Boston.

Dereck Lively II addresses his journey to the NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Lively dealt with adversity during the 2023-24 season. He lost his mother right before the postseason after she endured a long battle with cancer. Yet, he's still managed to contribute in a pivotal manner to the Mavericks. The Mavs rookie addressed his journey to the NBA Finals while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

“I feel like my mom always said this, but my way is the hardest way,” Lively said. “We're not gonna take the easy way out. We're not gonna cry if things aren't going our way or if it seems like everything is stacked against us. We just gotta be able to huddle together as a family, being able to lean on each other. There's a lot of times where it might seem like the world is against you.

“It might seem like you look in the mirror and you aren't seeing the same person. But whenever you come in here and you're able to smile with teammates, being able to laugh with teammates… It makes everything outside of the basketball world that much easier.”

The Mavericks have been there for Lively. He mentioned that being around his teammates has helped him through this difficult time. And now Dereck Lively II and the Mavericks are four victories away from an NBA championship.