Picture Credit: Twitter
Indiana Pacers lottery pick Benedict Mathurin is already making headlines as he has called out one of the best players in the league. The Canadian-born while speaking in an interview before the draft questioned the skill and ability of the four-time MVP and four-time NBA Champion LeBron James.
The Wildcat talked about how he has heard people praise LeBron James but he would require first-hand experience to consider his greatness. “A lot of people say he’s great,” Mathurin said. “I want to see how great he is. I don’t think anybody is better than me. He’s going to have to show me he’s better than me.”
Everything I do is for my brother: Mathurin
In the same interview, he also talked about how his brother’s death has pushed him to become a better basketball player and make it to the NBA. “Everything I do is for my brother,” Mathurin said. “He’s always with me. We did everything together. I had one chip on my shoulder already, but [his death] put another one. I’ve got chips on both shoulders now. Whichever way people bump into me, they’re going to hit one of them.”
Benedict Mathurin is a 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds who averaged 17.7 points while shooting 36.9% from the 3-point range in 2021-22. He started 12 of 26 games as a freshman in 2020-21, averaging 10.8 points while shooting 41.8% from 3. His team, the Arizona Wildcats were the best team in the Pac-12 but lost to Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Tomorrow I'm going to wake up and be a Pacer: Mathurin
The 20-year-old has also expressed excitement about playing with the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte. "I'm pretty excited, to be honest," Mathurin said during his media interview in the Barclays Center. "Tomorrow I'm going to wake up and be a Pacer.
“Just having the chance to play with Tyrese, Chris and the other guys on the team is going to be fun. Tyrese likes to pass the ball. He can really pass the ball. He's a great teammate, as well. I'm really looking forward to playing with them and just having fun playing the game," he further said.