There was a thought that one day Remy Martin’s jersey would be hanging in the rafters of Desert Financial Arena right next to James Harden. And, perhaps, that’s still true.

For three years, Martin captivated a Tempe fan base starving for relevancy. His flopping hair, unmatched energy, admirable leadership, Tasmanian-devil-like defense and off-balance jumpers that always seemed to take the breath out of a building then inject it with life. All of it. He was revered.

A little over a month ago, Martin and his father, Sam, attended a Friday night ASU baseball game. The night prior, Martin had 11 points and five assists in ASU’s upset of then-No. 14 Oregon. The Sun Devils had won six-straight. They were arguably the hottest team in the country and Martin was kerosene that kept them burning.

That night, the Phoenix Muni scoreboard threw him up on the big screen as the PA announcer welcomed Martin to the game. He stood up and waved behind him as some of the night’s biggest cheers went off to ASU’s 6-foot point guard.

A little while later, he and Sam left their seats and exited the stadium. Sam was nearly always in front, stopping almost every 10 feet as fan after fan either asked for a picture with Martin or shook his hand or just told him how great he and the Sun Devils were playing.

And all of them probably expected they had another year to watch him.

That notion was greatly challenged Monday when Martin, a junior, announced that he had declared for the NBA Draft.

“Starting from a young age, I have worked towards the opportunity to play in the NBA and I have now decided to take another step into making my dream a reality,” Martin’s statement, in part, read. “I will forever cherish the time I have spent at ASU; Arizona will always be a home to me because of the ASU supporters and the 942 Crew!”

According to team sources, Martin plans to choose a path that will give him an opportunity to test the NBA waters with the option to return to school for his senior year.

It’s rare but not unprecedented. In 2016, North Carolina’s Justin Jackson entered his name in the NBA Draft and was allowed to participate in the NBA Combine, speak with league executives and garner a better understanding of where he stacked up against some of the nation’s other top players. He decided to return to school and won a National Championship before being drafted No. 15 overall in the next draft.

That’s a possibility for Martin. But read his statement again. It surely doesn’t sound like someone truly mulling their options and keeping the door wide open for a return. It reads as someone like Martin -- an extremely determined person and competitor -- who wants to charge headfirst into his dream of playing in the NBA.

And if that’s the case, all the best to him.

Most with knowledge of the NBA Draft landscape were surprised by Martin’s decision, noting that, at the moment, he’s probably on the outside looking in. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie even admitted on Twitter that he didn’t have Martin as a top-100 NBA prospect, which would make his draft chances apparently slim (there are 60 picks in the entire draft).

Martin leaving early never felt like a true possibility for a number of reasons, including evidence from Martin himself. Back in January -- right before ASU beat Arizona, back when their chances for an NCAA Tournament seemed bleak -- Martin was asked if he had thought about the draft given his success.

“No. Not at all,” Martin responded. “I don’t think, personally, myself, that I’ve done enough to be able to even think about that. I’m based off of wins. I love to win. I don’t think I’ve been winning enough as I wanted to. All I can do is do my best on the court. My main priority is to win and I haven’t been winning, so that’s never a thought.”

Over his three years at ASU, Martin was the catalyst for the best three-year stretch in ASU basketball history. The Sun Devils had won 20 games and, if not for a global pandemic, would have gone to the NCAA Tournament three straight years for the first time in almost 60 years.

Martin racked up two All-Pac-12 honors. He was named the conference’s sixth-man of the year during his freshman season. He was the runner-up for the Pac-12 Player of the Year his junior year after averaging 19 points and four assists a game.

And, most admirably, he seemed to take the blame for every ASU loss. He truly felt that he could will the Sun Devils to victory night in and night out. Whether the night’s opponent was Arizona or No.1 Kansas, Martin felt the outcome was squarely on his shoulders.

Most of the time, he delivered. And, for that, no matter how he does at the next level, he will always be beloved in Tempe.