The sport of basketball has been like a family affair for Dallas Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper and his family.
O-Max’s mom and dad both played basketball at Concordia University and were both multiple-time All-Stars. And His sister, Cassandre, is a 19-year sophomore on the Notre Dame basketball team, and both mom and Cassandre competed for Canada’s women’s national basketball team.
A 6-2 guard, Cassandre’s skill-set is such that she likely will be in the WNBA one day. And that will suit her brother just fine.
“It’s going to be really a dream come true for both of us, because we’ve been talking about this since we were little,” O-Max told Mavs.com after Friday’s practice. “We were like, ‘Me and Cassandre are going to be the first brother-sister duo from Canada to play in the NBA and WNBA.
“Obviously, there’s been (a brother-sister in the NBA and WNBA) in the past, but currently there’s none. But there’s never been one from Canada, so in a few years when she gets to the WNBA it’s going to be me and her and it’s going to be really fun.”
For Gaetan and Guylaine Prosper, it’s been fun for them to watch their son and daughter grow up to become top-flight athletes. When asked about seeing O-Max play for the Mavs, Gaetan said: “Honestly, man, it’s a blessing. It is surreal at times, even to this day.
“It’s his second season (in the NBA) and we still pinch ourselves, but it is a blessing and we’re just so happy for him, because we know how hard he worked to get to 
this point. So, we’re just very, very grateful that his hard work is paying dividends.”
As far as his daughter’s success, Gaetan said: “Honestly, it’s very exciting. That’s always been a dream of hers. She got to the Olympics — that was dream one. And now she wants to play in the league, the WNBA.
“She’s a few years away, but she’s working at it every day, and she’s got great potential.”
Growing up in the hockey hotbed of Montreal, Canada, O-Max was well aware of what his mom and dad gave up in order to make life better for him and his sister.
“Both my dad and my mom, they sacrificed a lot for me and my sister to be where we are,” he said. “They were working, and then after that they had to bring us to practice. Practice is 45 minutes to an hour away. They stayed there, and then they still got to work all day, and then would bring us back home.
“They always were present for us, and that’s the biggest thing. Having your parents present and always there by your side to help you go through when you play well, when you don’t play well, when you’re hurt, when you’re not hurt — all those things to help you through that — that means the world. And without them, I would not be here.”
And for O-Max, it wasn’t just the long drives back-n-forth to basketball practice.
“I used to play soccer at that that time, too,” he said. “So, I would have basketball practice on Tuesday, and then soccer on Wednesday, and basketball on Thursday,
and soccer on Friday.
“(Our parents) would take us to practice all the time and stay there. They just wanted to see everything. They didn’t want to drop us off and leave. So, that meant a lot to me and my sister growing up, and it made us feel like their support was there.”
When he was 14 years old, O-Max remembers his dad taking him on the five-hour drive from Montreal to Toronto so he could watch the Raptors play Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“It was special, because actually the game was in March, but it was still a Christmas gift,” O-Max said. “That’s when Westbrook was in his MVP season. It was awesome just to watch that game.”
O-Max, 22, thought of that moment last Saturday when he and the Mavs were playing the Raptors in Toronto, and there were a legion of 42 family members and friends in the arena watching him help Dallas dethrone Toronto, 125-118. O-Max had five points, a season-high six rebounds and two assists in 10 impactful minutes 
in that game.
“There were kids up in the stands watching me, and I was just that kid, so it was special,” he said. “Just the opportunity to actually be out there and play and impact the game, that was really, really fun.”
It was fun for Gaetan – he attended that game – also.
“Honestly, it was a blessing,” Gaetan said. “It was exciting. We’re so happy for him. He got some good minutes and played really well and impacted the game.
“We’re just so proud, honestly, and excited for him. His future is bright, but he knows it’s one day at a time and he accepts the grind and he keeps working at this craft every day. We had about 42 people there, and then there was also a school that came down with some kids, so O-Max got to talk to them after the game. It was fun.”
It also has been fun for Cassandre.
“She was in the (2024) Olympics,” O-Max said. “They didn’t get out of group stage, but the experience for her as a 19 year-old to be part of the Olympic team, it was incredible. And then all the experience she gained.
“She played against the best players on every team, so it was great for her. And then now as she moves forward, she’s going to be the face of Team Canada’s women’s basketball for the next I don’t know how many years.”
Cassandre’s 2023-24 season with Notre Dame was cut short by injuries, but she’s back as the No. 8 Fighting Irish knocked off the No. 2 ranked Connecticut Huskies, 79-68, on Thursday.
“She’s healthy and she’s playing on a great team at Notre Dame,” O-Max, a 6-7 forward, said. “They have a chance to go all the way and win this championship.
“I’m a proud big brother, I’m super proud of her and just her journey, and there’s a lot more in store for her.”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd believes there’s a lot more in store for O-Max. Especially after he followed up his break-out game against Toronto with a season-high six 
points and two boards in 12 minutes this past Tuesday against Oklahoma City.
“I think giving O the minutes with the injuries and sickness (to other players), I think O’s taken full advantage of that,” Kidd said. “Give him credit for his patient and his ability to work. When his name has been called, he’s been a positive on the floor.
“Again, we’re going to need that, especially with some of the injuries or illnesses that we have. But O-Max has played really well for us the last two games.”
Gaetan hopes there are more minutes coming for O-Max, adding: “We do spend a lot of time in Dallas supporting him and watching him play and supporting the team.”
As far as him and his sister goes, O-Max — the 24th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Marquette — said they didn’t compete much against each other when they were growing up.
“Now if we work out together, we’ll play a little bit,” he said. “But growing up, she didn’t want to play too much against me.
“But other than that, she’s still a very, very big competitor. Any time we play with our shooting competitions — or all those things that obviously doesn’t require one-
on-one — she feels like she’s the better shooter, the better player. So, she’s super, super competitive.”
BRIEFLY: P. J. Washington was back at practice Friday after missing Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma City with an illness. However, Naji Marshall (illness), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), Maxi Kleber (illness, Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) and Brandon Williams (right thumb sprain) did not practice Friday. . .The Mavs didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday after a brutal stretch which saw them play 10 games in 39 days, and in two countries and in all four time zones. That includes traveling to the NBA’s most Western city (Portland) and to its most Eastern city (Toronto). “It was good to regroup,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought we had a really good practice today, and then we’ll have another practice tomorrow before we leave for San Francisco).” The Mavs will play the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT, then will be off until they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
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