Hayden, a 17-year-old high school basketball player and cancer patient from Oregon, got his Make-A-Wish Foundation dream granted Wednesday night -- as well as some big surprises.
Hayden's biggest wish, of course, was to meet the basketball player he most admires: Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki. But the night turned out to be so much more for Hayden, his sister and their parents.
Their family was given the VIP treatment by the Mavericks. Hayden served as the Mavericks' honorary captain and Hayden and his family got great seats to watch what turned out to be a two-point Minnesota victory -- with Luka Doncic passing up a late potential-winning 3-pointer to hit an open Jalen Brunson, who missed at the buzzer.