Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin ( , ; born June 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Arizona Wildcats The Arizona Wildcats are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Divis ...

, where he was named a consensus second-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and Pac-12 Player of the Year after his sophomore season. Mathurin was selected sixth overall by the Pacers in the

2022 NBA draft The 2022 NBA draft (branded as the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm for sponsorship reasons), the 76th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft, was held on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New ...

. He was voted to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

and finished fourth in voting for the 2023

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...

award.

Early life and career

Mathurin was born and raised in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. He grew up playing

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

and

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

as a

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

. He competed for the Quebec provincial basketball team. In 2018, Mathurin joined the

NBA Academy The NBA Academy is a basketball development initiative created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) that develops top international high school-age prospects. The program includes academies across India, Australia (known as the Global Acad ...

Latin America in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, becoming its first Canadian-born player. He committed to playing college basketball for

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, choosing the Wildcats over Baylor. He was considered the best Canadian prospect in his class by North Pole Hoops.

College career

On January 2, 2021, Mathurin posted 24 points and 11 rebounds in an 86–82 win over

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

. On January 14, he recorded 31 points and eight rebounds in a 98–64 win over Oregon State. Mathurin averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range. Despite gaining interest as a draft prospect, he decided to return for his sophomore season. On December 11, 2021, Mathurin scored 30 points in a 83–79 win against

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. Mathurin won the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the Wildcats to their eighth conference tournament title. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, the ninth player in Arizona Wildcats history to do so. Following his Sophomore season, Mathurin was voted a consensus second-team

, the fifth in Wildcat to make second team and thirtieth All-American in school history. By winning conference player of the year he became the 31st Arizona Wildcat men's basketball player to have his name put into the school's Ring of Honor. On April 14, 2022, Mathurin declared for the

, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

Professional career

Indiana Pacers (2022–present)

2022–23 season: All–Rookie First Team honors

Mathurin was selected with the 6th overall pick by the

in the

. He is the first ever player from

to be selected as a lottery pick. He joined the seventh overall pick, Shaedon Sharpe, as the only Canadians drafted in the first round that year. Mathurin was the Pacers' highest pick the franchise has owned since selecting

Rik Smits Rik Smits (born 23 August 1966), nicknamed "the Dunking Dutchman" is a Dutch former professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The center was drafted by the ...

second overall in the

1988 NBA draft The 1988 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1988, in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds. This was also the first draft for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, prior to their i ...

. On July 3, 2022, Mathurin signed his rookie contract with the Pacers. On July 8, he made his

NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season basketball competition organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regula ...

debut, recording 23 points and four rebounds in a 96–84 win over the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

. Ten days later, Mathurin was named to the All–NBA Summer League Second Team, averaging 19.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. On October 19, Mathurin made his regular season debut coming off the bench, recording 19 points in a 114–107 loss to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. He would follow that performance by scoring 26 points against Jeremy Sochan and the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

on October 21, and 27 points against

Jaden Ivey Jaden Edward Dhananjay Ivey (born February 13, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers. Early life Ivey gr ...

and the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

on October 22. His 72 points through the first three games of the season was the most by a rookie since

Jerry Stackhouse Jerry Darnell Stackhouse (born November 5, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. Stackhouse played college basketball f ...

scored 76 to start off the

1995–96 NBA season The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), though the 50th anniversary was not celebrated until the following season. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Fina ...

. On October 26, he became the first Pacer to score 100–plus points through their first five career games. On October 29, Mathurin set a career high with 32 points on 6–of–9 three-point shooting and five rebounds in a 125–116 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

. On November 9, Mathurin recorded 30 points on 10–of–17 shooting from the field and 6–of–9 shooting from three in a loss to the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. On December 1, Mathurin was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, averaging 19.2 points, 4 rebounds, on 40.3% three-point shooting. On January 31, 2023, Mathurin was named a 2023 NBA Rising Star alongside standout rookie teammate Andrew Nembhard. On February 13, after scoring 21 points against the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

, Mathurin became the fastest Pacer rookie since

Chuck Person Chuck Connors Person (born June 28, 1964) is an American former basketball player and coach. Person played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was the 1987 NBA Rookie of the Year. Person played college basketball for the ...

in the 1986–87 season to reach 1,000 career points. With the Pacers dropping out of

playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

contention, Mathurin became a starter over the last 10 games of his rookie season. On March 28, as a starter against the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, Mathurin recorded 29 points and a career-high 9 rebounds, while passing teammate Chris Duarte for most three-pointers made as a rookie in Pacers franchise history. At the 2022–23 season's end, he finished fourth in the 2023

NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Tr ...

voting and earned NBA All–Rookie First Team honors.

2023–24 season: Season–ending shoulder injury

On November 8, 2023, Mathurin recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, along with 4 threes made in a win against the

. On November 9, the next day, he scored 26 points to go along with a 11 rebounds, a steal, and a block in a win against the

. On February 17, 2024, Mathurin was named MVP of the

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

NBA Rising Stars Challenge (as part of NBA All–Star Weekend), which was played in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Gainbridge Fieldhouse Gainbridge Fieldhouse is an indoor arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena. The arena is the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) ...

. He notably scored 22 total points in the Rising Stars tournament and helped lead Team

Jalen Jalen is both a surname and given name. The given name, as well as variants like Jaylen and Jaylin, rose in popularity in the 1990s due to the success of basketball player Jalen Rose (named for his father James and uncle Leonard). Notable people wi ...

to a Rising Stars championship. On March 9, Mathurin was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury which required surgery. He missed the remainder of the 2023–24 season. Despite Mathurin's injury the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

2024–25 season: NBA Finals appearance

On November 10, 2024, Mathurin put up a career-high 38 points with 7-of-8 three-pointers made in a 132–121 win over the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

. He and

Tyrese Haliburton Tyrese John Haliburton (born February 29, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Haliban", he is a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Th ...

became the second duo to each score at least 35 points in a game in Pacers franchise history, after

Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines, Wolverines' "Fab Five (University of Michigan), Fa ...

and

Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...

during the 2000 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

. On March 20, 2025, Mathurin scored 28 points and collected a career-high 16 rebounds in an overtime win over the

. On May 29, he recorded 23 points and 9 rebounds, both team-highs, on 6-10 shooting and 9-9 free throws, in a game-five loss to the

in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers eventually won the series, advancing to the

2025 NBA Finals The 2025 NBA Finals is the ongoing championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2024–25 NBA season, 2024–25 season and conclusion to 2025 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series is being played bet ...

. On June 11, Mathurin scored a playoff career-high 27 points in only 22 minutes off the bench in a 116–107 Game 3 win over the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

to help the Pacers take a 2–1 series lead.

National team career

Mathurin played for

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

and

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

, Latvia after being cut from the Olympic team. On July 4, 2021, he scored a team-high 30 points, shooting 11–of–15 from the field and 6–of–9 from three-point range, in a 100–75 group-stage win over

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. One week later, Mathurin scored 31 points to lead Canada to a 101–92 victory over

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

in the third–place game and win the bronze medal. He averaged 16.1 points and four rebounds per game in the tournament.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, 78 , , 17 , , 28.5 , , .434 , , .323 , , .828 , , 4.1 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 19 , , 26.1 , , .446 , , .374 , , .821 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 72 , , 49 , , 29.8 , , .458 , , .340 , , .831 , , 5.3 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .3 , , 16.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 209 , , 85 , , 28.3 , , .446 , , .342 , , .828 , , 4.5 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .2 , , 15.9

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 22 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .459 , , .300 , , .864 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 11.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .459 , , .300 , , .864 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 11.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2020–21 , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 12 , , 25.0 , , .471 , , .418 , , .846 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .1 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 37 , , 32.5 , , .450 , , .369 , , .764 , , 5.6 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 17.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 63 , , 49 , , 29.4 , , .456 , , .383 , , .789 , , 5.3 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , .2 , , 14.8

Personal life

Mathurin is of Haitian descent. His older sister, Jennifer, played college basketball for

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

. When Mathurin was 12 years old, his 15–year–old brother died in a bicycle accident. He speaks English, French, Spanish, and

Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; , ; , ), or simply Creole (), is a French-based creole languages, French-based creole language spoken by 10 to 12million people worldwide, and is one of the two official languages of Haiti (the other being French), where it ...

References

External links

Arizona Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathurin, Bennedict 2002 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players Basketball players from Montreal Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States NBA players from Canada Canadian men's basketball players Canadian sportspeople of Haitian descent Indiana Pacers draft picks Indiana Pacers players Shooting guards Small forwards 21st-century Canadian sportsmen Haitian Quebecers