- He is a Canadian professional basketball player
- He plays as a shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA
- He is recovering from a torn labrum surgery on his right shoulder
Benedict Mathurin is a Canadian professional basketballer who plays as a shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. He is expected to return from a torn labrum on his right shoulder that he sustained in a game against the Dallas Mavericks in early March this year.
The 21-year-old was born in Montreal and started playing ice hockey in Canada and played football before transitioning to basketball, even competing for the Quebec provincial basketball team.
At the age of sixteen, Mathurin moved to Mexico City under a program designed to train young international prospects, NBA Academy Latin America, an opportunity that saw him become the first Canadian-born player.
He played college basketball for the University of Arizona where he gained recognition as a draft prospect. Still, rather, he chose to return for his sophomore season, leading the Wildcats in scoring and he earned several accolades.
His impressive college made him a part of the 2022 NBA draft selection by the Indiana Pacers with the sixth overall pick.
Mathurin personal life
The 21-year-old was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on June 19 2002 to Elvie June and Felix Mathurin. He has an elder sister Jennifer who played college basketball for NC State and lost his older brother Dominique in a bicycle accident.
Benedict Mathurin. Photo/Sports Illustrated
When he was young, he also lost his father Felix and his mother took the mantle of bringing them up as a single parent. He schooled in his hometown of Montreal before he left for Mexico to attend basketball training on a sponsored program.
He then joined the University of Arizona where he played for the Wildcats before being drafted in the 2022 NBA by the Indiana Pacers. He has missed some games since sustaining an injury in early March.
Mathurin Biography
The 21-year-old was born in Montreal and started playing ice hockey in Canada and played football before transitioning to basketball, even competing for the Quebec provincial basketball team.
At the age of sixteen, Mathurin moved to Mexico City under a program that was designed to train young international prospects, NBA Academy Latin America, an opportunity that saw him become the first Canadian-born player.
He played college basketball for the University of Arizona where he gained recognition as a draft prospect but rather, he chose to return for his sophomore season, leading the Wildcats in scoring and he earned several accolades.
His impressive college made him a part of the 2022 NBA draft selection by the Indiana Pacers with the sixth overall pick.
Mathurin career journey
His career journey began at Montreal where he played for the Quebec provincial basketball team before he was sponsored by a program to Mexico, NBA Academy Latin America for further training in basketball.
Under the program, Mathurin became the first Canadian-born player to receive world-class training and competition that prepared him for the college level. His skills developed under the training and he joined the University of Arizona.
Bennedict Mathurin. Photo/The Athletic
While playing for the Wildcats, his shooting prowess was undeniably the best and in his sophomore season, he led the team in scoring as he also earned individual accolades including the Consensus Second-team All-American and the Pac-12 player of the Year.
While in his sophomore year, his impressive performance was already calling in the NBA and fortunately, he was drafted in the 2022 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers with the sixth overall pick.
Mathurin’s injury
After the draft, his rookie season with the Pacers was a success and he became a key contributor with his scoring prowess. He made several achievements including NBA All-Rookie First Team selection and he finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting.
However, his promising rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery and is currently on the recovery process.
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