Dante had 30 last night.

He's averaging 27 9 and nine, and I just want to remind everyone he is 21 years or that's only good for tomorrow.

He's 22 tomorrow, 20 tomorrow's birthday.

Okay, I looked pretty sure tomorrow.

Yeah, I looked at it, So I'm very glad we had this conversation today because it sounds more effective when I say he's 21 years old.

But either way tell me about him.

Like what?

What what are such a man?

He's such a good guy.

And you know, there's There's a lot of guys that come in the league with talent and, um, the ability to play, but and there's guys who say they want to be the best.

But the guys who become the best of the ones that you know set goals for themselves and do whatever it takes to achieve those goals.

And that's Luca, um, on the court.

You know, after his rookie season, I said, Well, Luca, what are you gonna add to your game off season?

Said Mark.

I need to do a better job finishing with my left hand, and he went from being an awful finisher his rookie year toe being top five, finishing around the basket.

Then I said that after this, after the bubble, I said, What are you gonna add this year?

He goes my mid range because I need a counter when I go to drive, you know?

And I stopped.

Um, you know, I'm okay, finisher, but I don't have a counter to come back to, um and when I say mid range, not a 16 or 19 ft shot, but you know, just outside the pain and and mid range.

And now his mid range is money continuously, and he's become one of the best there.

And that is who Luca is on the court and off the court.

Man, the kid's got a heart of gold, and there's just nothing he won't do for others.

There's not a kid he won't stop for.

There's not, you know, ah hospital.

He won't visit.

There's not, you know, in autograph he won't sign, and that's just that the specialness that comes with greatness and you know, a lot of people talk it, but he walks it, and that's just to Luca.

Dodgers is the comparisons people will make to Dirk make some sense, even though the games were totally different because they're both foreign bond players and they both on your team, starting very young.

How are they similar and different in your experience at this stage, they both want to be great.

Is the similarity e.

I mean, the the reason I asked Luca that question about what he's going to do is because that's exactly what I would talk to Dirk about every summer.

And Dirk put in the work, Um, as well.

That's the similarity.

Everything else that they're different.

Dirk was really reserved.

He had challenges with the language.

When he first came to Dallas, he was uncertain of himself and put all of his efforts into basketball.

And it took him a long time.

Thio, really, you know, blossom as an individual as a man.

Um, Luca just has, you know, he's used to be in the man.

He's used to be in the center of attention, and he's adjusted.

He adjusted to that early and and their games were so completely different.

You really can't compare them at all.

Mark Cuban is with me here on ESPN radio.

So much basketball to talk about, but it would be a waste of this opportunity if I didn't ask you about a lot of other things that I think are of interest to everyone and arm or important, because you're such an insightful person when it comes to this stuff.

So let let me ask you this.

We're also eager to come out of this pandemic.

Well, let me ask you for getting basketball in a bigger sense.

What does it look like when we do?

What does the world look like when we come out the other side of this?

Whatever.

And whenever that is, I gotta tell you, just at a base level, the snapback is going to be incredible.

The minute we all feel confident that we could go outside without being terrified, that either we're going to get sick or we're gonna convey somebody.

You know, where somebody where with is going to get sick?

I think the were the spirit that we have in this country is going to be amazing.

And look, I'm very, very positive about the vaccine.

Anybody out there who's thinking twice about getting it change your mind right now.

Um, get the vaccine.

If it's offered to you if you're qualified for its sign up.

You know, if you don't have enough information, get online and find it or call your doctor and get it, Um, because it's it's important and it works, and I can't wait to get mine.

Um, but at the same time, once that happens, I think just the relief and the reduction and anxiety is going to really allow you really a lot of people to engage and have fun.

Um, and you know what I'm hoping for?

If there's an Olympics that's played, um, this summer, can you imagine if one of our teams is an underdog and American team is an underdog and goes on a run in the Olympics and were actually allowed to go into sports bars?

We're going to public venues and watch together the camaraderie and togetherness that you know erupt from that.

I mean, it'll be insane, and I really think that's what's gonna happen and and by September, when when kids are getting back on campus and and you know people are starting to really feel normal, your you're going to see full arenas for concerts and and hopefully before that, hopefully we'll have enough folks that have been vaccinated that we'll be able to start, You know, putting people in in numbers into our arena were already with the Mavs working with the local hospital so that once the hospitals were ableto confirm that their employees have been vaccinated twice, plus the 14 day waiting period before everything kicks in tow, work on the vaccine, then you know, and they can identify those folks tow us.

We're gonna open up the arena to allow them all in, right.

We won't.

We won't charge them.

You know where they'll be the first fans to come back, um, to Mavs games.

And I think, you know, setting that precedent and growing from there, I think, Well, we'll start creating some momentum that we really need.

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