A few days leading up to last Thursday’s NBA Draft, Olivier-Maxence Prosper had a smart plan for
how he wanted one of the most memorable days of his life to play out.
For starters, Prosper was going to position himself and the four dozen or so family members and friends that were going to be on hand to support him on his big day in a certain section at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. But those plans got squashed when Prosper received an all-important last-minute call from the NBA that he and some of his family members would get to sit in the prestigious green room.
The green room is the area near the stage where the crème de la crème of the 2023 draft class lounge around before and during the draft. It’s also known as the spot reserved for the who’s who of that particular draft class.
In essence, in the eyes of the NBA, Prosper had elevated himself to green room status after his stock rose during his many impressive showings at pre-draft workouts.
“To be in the green room, it was a great honor,” Prosper said. “It’s something as a kid you watch everybody in the green room.
“To be there was just a great feeling. But regardless if I was in the stands or in the green room, you’re there, and you’re there to hear your name called.”
Prosper heard NBA commission Adam Silver call his name as being selected No. 24 overall in the first round by the Sacramento Kings. But a short time later, the Dallas Mavericks stepped in and acquired Prosper in a trade with the Kings.
For Prosper, it was like a trade made in heaven. That’s because of the 17 teams he worked out for while zipping across the country – and to Toronto – during his busy pre-draft workout schedule, he truly fell in love with the Mavs and was hopeful that this is where his NBA journey would begin.
“The first thing for me was the people (with the Mavs),” Prosper said during Monday’s introductory news conference to the Dallas media at the Mavs’ practice facilities. “I got here and (Mavs general manager) Nico (Harrison) bought me dinner with (assistant general manager) Michael Finley.
“And that just shows how the people are. I felt welcomed. They embraced me here.”
And that’s not the only thing that made Prosper feel like he was right at home.
“My workout was a one-on-one workout, but just the coaches and everybody, it felt right,” he said. “Everybody was welcoming.
“It just felt like it was the right place for me, and it felt really good.”
A 6-8, 230-pound forward, Prosper averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds for Marquette this past season. Since the draft, he’s tried to soak up everything that comes with being a coveted first-round draft pick, but also stayed focused on what’s next.
“I’ve been trying to take it all in, stay in the moment and enjoy the whole experience,” Prosper said. “It’s something you work for your whole life – to be here.
“So, you’ve got to appreciate and celebrate every moment. Now the draft party is over. Now it’s time to get to work and get ready for the summer league.”
But before Prosper joins the Mavs on their summer league team in Las Vegas – it’s from July 7-17 – he was very appreciative of the people who watched over him and helped guide him on his journey to Dallas.
“Family and coaches and friends – you need everybody,” Prosper said. “You can’t do it by yourself.
“It’s been great. I’m glad to be down here in Dallas.”
Prosper’s bloodlines appear to suggest he was destined to make it to the NBA. Prosper’s mom (Guylaine) and dad (Gaetan) were both multiple All-Stars at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, where he grew up. Guylaine Prosper also competed for the Canadian women’s national basketball team.
In addition, Prosper’s sister, Cassandre, is a 6-2 freshman guard at Notre Dame who played on Canada’s Under-16 National Team in 2021, and on its Under-17 National Team in 2022. She also made the FIBA Americas Cup All-Star Five Team in 2021 and 2022.
“First of all, I’m the better player,” Prosper said while smiling. “Me and my sister, we train together. We just have a special bond. Seeing what we’re doing now and knowing that when we were kids we talked about what we’re doing now all the time, it’s great.
“Seeing what she’s doing now, the trajectory for her is going in the right direction. She wants to play in the WNBA and I know she will just because of her work ethic and her dedication and hard work. I’m just there to guide her.”
As for himself, Prosper is a renaissance man who speaks English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole. By all accounts, the Mavs’ hierarchy believes he’s a well-rounded person who has a good head on his shoulders.
“You need to have people around you who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear,” Prosper said. “Rely on them for the transition, and you rely on people who have been through it.”
Asked about advice he would offer other young athletes, Prosper said: “The biggest key is find people who you know have your best interest at 
heart and people who know you best, people who have been with you since day one, who’ve seen you fail, who’ve seen your ups, who’ve seen your downs. Those are the people you want around you. People who stayed with you through those times.
“The biggest thing as well that I tell the young kids is believe in yourself. There’s going to be a lot of people out there, a lot of new people saying this and that. People are going to be criticizing you left and right. It’s all about yourself.”
In discussing Prosper and the Mavs’ other first-round pick – center Dereck Lively II – Harrison explained that he was sold on more than just their athleticism.
“I think if you boil it down to just athleticism, I think you miss the big picture and also miss who they really are,” Harrison said. “I think both are great on and off the court, and I also think they’re defensive-minded.
“When you have two people who can run the floor – they’re super athletic, they’re young, so we’re getting them at the beginning stages – they’re going to get better. That’s what you want.”
While defense may be Prosper’s calling card, he’s also a huge energy guy.
“Defensively, I’m a guy that can guard multiple positions. . .and offensively I can knock down open shots and that can put pressure in the paint,” he said. “I’m big on energy. Many of those could be high fives, screaming after a last-minute block. Anything to bring energy to the team. That’s what I want to bring.
“Energy is contagious, and a guy like me, anything I can do to help my team. . .that’s just the way I play this game. You’ve got to play and leave everything out there, and you’ve got to be happy and have fun.”
Prosper, who turns 21 on July 3, also is looking forward to playing alongside Mavs’ four-time All-Star point guard Luka Doncic.
“Luka is one of the best players in the world,” he said. “Playing with a guy like that, it’s amazing. You can learn so much from a guy like that.
“He’s an unselfish player. He’s a player that wants to pass it and create. I’m just excited to be able to play with a guy like that and learn from him and just compliment him.”
Prosper also is a man with perfect timing. When asked what he knew about the Mavs, he drew laughter when he said: “One of the first series I watched in the (NBA) Finals was in 2011, the (Miami) Heat vs. Dallas. I was only nine years old.
“At that time I watched guys like coach (Jason) Kidd with Dirk (Nowitzki), against guys like LeBron (James) and (Dwyane) Wade, and you’re like, ‘This is where you want to get to.’
“Just to see the history of this organization and franchise, and just to be part of it now is extremely a blessing, so it’s exciting.”
It’s a blessing which Prosper hopes will help him prosper as a rookie and beyond.
“Right now my goal is to grow and learn as much as I can – especially now with the summer league – and help this team as much as I can in my rookie season,” he said. “Obviously, the goal is to win the championship, but there’s steps to that.
“So, for me right now my goal is to just become as great as I can, prepare as much to get better and help this team as much as I can.”
And keep those memories of the green room tucked safely away in his memory bank.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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