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).
In Indiana, Mathurin will line up alongside talented players such as Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. He will also evolve under the orders of a renowned trainer in Rick Carlisle.
Asked just after his selection by a journalist from the ESPN network to know what the Pacers will get from him, he replied: my heart. They will have everything from me, from start to finish.
The athlete from Montreal North did not experience the conventional route to the NBA. He joined the NBA academy in Latin America, Mexico, before joining the University of Arizona Wildcats program in the NCAA. He shone there for two seasons. In 2022, he was voted MVP of the PAC-12 association, one of the most successful 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 (3rd, Houston), Keegan Murray (4th, Sacramento) and Jaden Ivey (5th, Detroit) are the other names called before Mathurin’s in Brooklyn.
Another Canadian, Shaedon Sharpe of London, Ont., was the pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 7e rank. For the first time since 2014, two Canadians have been chosen in the top 10.
More details to come.
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