Less than two weeks ago, Yogi Ferrell was just another undrafted rookie quietly playing in the NBA's D-League. First signed by the Brooklyn Nets after a stellar career at IU - one which would etch his name in Hoosier history as the all-time leader in assists and sixth in points scored - Yogi's NBA debut in 2016 was proved to be short-lived and uneventful. His stay with the Brooklyn Nets would last a meager 14 games before the decision was made to move Yogi to Brooklyn's D-League team, the Long Island Nets.
To many, the chance to shine for Yogi had come and gone, but that would all change on January 27 when the point guard-desperate and playoff-hopeless Dallas Maverick's signed Yogi to a 10-day contract. On the surface, contracts of this nature are from atypical, especially for teams like the Mavericks who are simply looking to fill the spots on an injury-ridden roster. However, the Mavericks got more than they bargained for as Ferrell would make an immediate impact in his first game wearing white and royal blue, playing 36 minutes, scoring 9 points, dishing out 7 assists, and helping the Mavs overcome one of the West's premiere teams, the San Antonio Spurs.
Since his signing, Ferrell has averaged 17.8 points, 5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, with his most recent outing yielding a 32-point, 9 for 11 three-point performance. Oh, and did I mention the Mavs are 4-0 with wins against the Spurs and Cavs? He's performed in a way that has been unexpected to say the least and downright amazing when considering the fact that he's gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Kyrie Irving and Damion Lillard, bringing a once hopeless team back into playoff contention.
While the former Hoosier's performance is likely to regress to the mean sooner or later, his finesse and hustle have been the talk of the league and has even brought "Yogimania" into the everyday lexicon of the NBA, giving some a pleasant reminder of the "Linsanity" brought on by Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks back in 2012.
Most importantly, the four game-stretch has been enough to convince the Dallas Mavaricks and owner Mark Cuban to extend Ferrell a two-year league minimum deal. Whether Yogi continues to shine or merely fizzles out as the next flash story surfaces, one thing that we can all agree is that Ferrell's resurgence with the Dallas Mavericks is damn fun to watch. The question on everyone's mind now - how long until we can get a jersey?
