‘That’s The Reason I Do This’: Dereck Lively II Covers Costs For All 105 Campers At Free Dallas Hoop Camp

DALLAS — Dereck Lively II covered the cost of admission for all 105 campers at a free four-hour hoop camp he hosted Saturday at Beckley-Saner Recreation Center in Oak Cliff. The Dallas Mavericks center ran the event in conjunction with Mavs Academy.

Lively served as the featured coach. He led drills, refereed scrimmages, contested shots in the paint, and put campers through a series of push-up challenges. Lunch was provided for every participant. Campers also received swag bags that contained T-shirts and autographed photos.

Lively closed the day by presenting signed jerseys to three campers selected as All-Stars, then posed for individual photos with every camper and their families.

Inside Dereck Lively II’s One-Day Camp

Saturday marked Lively’s sixth hoop camp appearance of the summer. It was the second one-day camp he has hosted.

Beckley-Saner Recreation Center sits at 114 W. Hobson Ave., at the corner of Beckley and Saner, just east of Interstate 35. The city-run facility carries two gymnasiums.

Lively said he tries to talk to everybody at his camps. He said he looks for the camper who is not speaking and standing at the back of the line.

“Coming out here, seeing the kids enjoying themselves, having fun, and really come out of their shells,” Lively said. “You see the cool kids starting to smile, starting to have fun. That’s the reason I do this. Because whenever I was a kid, I always wanted someone to look up to that you see on TV, but whenever you finally see them in real life, it makes a difference.”

Before the scrimmage portion, Lively asked the campers what time it was. “Game time,” they answered, three times over, before he sent them to their teams. During the scrimmages, he told players to help each other up off the floor and shake hands after plays.

Lively said the close connection is what registers with kids. He said he tries to high-five everybody in the gym.

“But just look, in the communities we’re in, sometimes to get an experience like this, people aren’t able to cover the cost,” Lively explained. “And I would rather people just bring their kids and not have to worry about food and worry about paying. They can leave with some jerseys. They can leave with signed autographs. They can leave with a T-shirt. That’s gonna make the bigger difference. They can worry about spending their money on other things.”

Dereck Lively II’s Standing Entering 2026-27

Lively has not played since Nov. 21, when he finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks announced Dec. 10 that he would undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot. Dallas said at the time that he was expected to be available for the start of training camp.

In seven games last season, Lively averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 16.4 minutes. He shot 61.1% from the field across those appearances. Four of the seven were starts.

Across three seasons, Lively has averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 98 games. He has made 72.5% of his field goal attempts. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after the 2023-24 season, when he appeared in 55 games and started 42.

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Lively with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and traded his draft rights to Dallas. The Mavericks used the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Morez Johnson Jr.

Dallas exercised its fourth-year team option on Lively last October. The move locked in a salary of $7,239,130 for the 2026-27 season. Lively became eligible for a rookie-scale extension this offseason, and he would reach restricted free agency in 2027 without a new deal.