Nothing gets the heart racing for a fan base like having a rookie who provides boundless hope.
That’s what the Mavericks had in Luka Donu010diu0107 when they drafted him. He immediately energized the franchise and MFFLs everywhere.
To an obvious lesser degree, Jaden Hardy is doing the same.
The Mavericks are in a different place now than they were in 2018 when Luka got his start. He restored hope to a team that had missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons, and would do so again in his rookie year. But the hope and the future were undeniable.