Bennedict Mathurin, of the Indiana Pacers, comes full circle and pays it forward to Basketball Sans Frontières des Amériques in Longueuil. The Montrealer was in the world section of the event only three years ago.
Mathurin was the first Canadian to join the NBA Academy in Latin America, Mexico. At Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, he is one of the instructors, along with two other Quebecers in the NBA, Chris Boucher, of the Raptors, and Luguentz Dort, of the Thunder.
At this 12e BSF Americas camp, the other coaches are assistants in the NBA: Eric Khoury (Raptors), Rodney Billups (Blazers), Joe Boylan (Timberwolves), Quinton Crawford (Mavericks), Bruce Fraser (Warriors) and Jay Hernandez (Nets) . Listening and in action are some sixty young people born in 2006, among the best players in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
“For sure, reaching the NBA was one of my biggest goals,” said Mathurin. Now I’m in it, so I’m trying to give back. It’s a bit of a throwback. Seeing these young people reminds me of myself when I was at a camp like that. »
Earlier this month, the athlete from Montreal North took part in the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, sharing his knowledge with young hopefuls there too.
The 6’5″, 210 lb player played his first NBA campaign in 2022-23, after being drafted in 6e rank. He averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 78 games.
Indiana made some noise before slowing down and missing the playoffs.
The Quebecer said he quickly felt in his place in the Silver circuit. “Honestly, I got comfortable pretty early on — training camp and summer league,” he says.
“As soon as I was able to be 5 against 5 with my teammates, it was fun. It was really “fun”. »
Beyond the difficult passages, he believes that the Pacers have a bright future. “I’m constantly trying to learn and I love adversity,” said Mathurin, who turned 21 on June 19. When it’s hard, it allows me to grow. I want to accomplish several things. I want to win a championship. I want to be a star player. »
In his case, self-confidence is definitely a driving force. This is partly what Mathurin wants to teach at Basketball Sans Frontières. “Each young person is different and confidence, some have more than others, he testifies. It’s mostly a matter of gathering what it takes: hard work, talent and confidence. These are the three main ingredients for success. »