Bennedict Mathurin officially enters the NBA. The native of Montreal North was chosen 6th overall in the 2022 draft by the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Mathurin thus became the first player born in Quebec to be drafted in the first round of the NBA in 37 years. Bill Wennington, 16th pick of the Dallas Mavericks in 1985, preceded him.
The 20-year-old athlete joins a growing contingent of active players from the Quebec metropolis in the NBA. He joins Chris Boucher, Khem Birch (Toronto Raptors) and Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder).
The athlete from Montreal North did not experience the conventional route to the NBA. He joined an NBA academy in Latin America, Mexico, before joining the University of Arizona Wildcats program in the NCAA. He shone there for two seasons, being named in 2022 the most outstanding player in the PAC-12 association, one of the most distinguished in American university sport.
Duke University’s Paolo Banchero was the first overall pick in the draft, a catch for the Orlando Magic.
Chet Holmgren (2nd, Oklahoma City), Jabari Smith Jr. (3rd, Houston), Keegan Murray (4th, Sacramento) and Jaden Ivey (5th, Detroit) are the other names that have been called before Mathurin’s in Brooklyn.
More details to come.
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
