Mavericks’ Matthews credits mother for success on basketball court

Wesley Matthews has heard all the stories, stories about how he must have followed in his dad’s footsteps while carving out a life playing in the NBA.

But Matthews wants to make sure the story is correct.

“My dad didn’t raise me,” Matthews said after Saturday’s practice at American Airlines Center. “It was my mom who raised me, so it’s not your traditional ‘dad was an NBA player teaching his son everything that he knows.’

“It was tougher because everybody assumes that when they talk to me, and that wasn’t the case at all. He wasn’t around, so there wasn’t really anything for me to pick up.”

“Besides, Matthews added. “We’re two completely players, different body types, different sizes. We’re two completely different basketball players.”

Wes Matthews was a 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard who played in the NBA from 1980-’90.

Wesley Matthews is a 6-5, 220-pound shooting guard who is entering his first season with the Dallas Mavericks and seventh season in the NBA.

While Wesley Matthews is a career 14-points per game scorer, he also takes great pride in his defensive abilities, which he learned while growing up in Wisconsin. Defensive teachings that came directly from his mom, Pam Moore, who was an All-America track performer at Wisconsin and a solid basketball player.

As a way of honoring his mom for his basketball success, Matthews has tattoos on his left biceps that read “Dynamic Duo” and the initials “WM” and “PM.”

“Early on she used to drop me off up in Milwaukee and even around town in Madison, and I played against kids who were older than me,” Matthews said. “She would tell me to guard the best player and win every game. So that was my mentality and it just stuck with me. It worked out.”

It’s worked to the point where the Mavs believe they can use Matthews — when he’s healthy — as a lockdown defender at various perimeter positions.

“He can guard shooting guards and small forwards, and he’s guarded some point guards at times,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s strong, he’s knowledgeable, and he’s relentless.

“Really, it’s a matter of us getting him back to where he needs to be in terms of his conditioning and full health.”

Rehabbing from left Achilles tendon surgery he underwent on March 11, Matthews has a shirt with “undrafted’’ and his number 23 on it. It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that he was not drafted when he finished Marquette in 2009.

“I was a marketing and advertising major in college, so that’s something that obviously fuels me every single day,” Matthews said. “It fuels my journey.

“You never forget where you came from, you never forget who you do it for and why you do it. So it’s just a reminder and it’s just to let everybody know I’m outward with it.”

Matthews, who turns 29 on Wednesday, also wants to accomplish more than just joining Ben Wallace as one of the best players not drafted to play in the NBA.

“I want to go down as one of the better players to play at this position in this game, period,” Matthews said. “Undrafted, drafted, first round, second round, no handicaps, none of that.

“Don’t put an asterisk by me because I wasn’t drafted. It’s not my fault they wanted to pass up on me twice. I’m not going to punish them. Don’t limit me because of that.”

Matthews’ draft class included lottery picks Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn, Terrence Williams, Gerald Henderson and Earl Clark. Not exactly prime-time NBA players.

“If you can redo my draft class, where am I going to fit?” Matthews asked. “Grade me and judge me on what I do with the guys that were drafted with, guys that are going to be Hall of Famers, with the scoring champs, with the first-rounders, with the lotteries.

“Grade me on my class.”

And remember, Matthews said, that it’s his mom who should get the credit for his basketball success.　

This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Mavericks’ Matthews credits mother for success on basketball court."