*Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin has not played a single NBA game but that’s not stopping him from calling out Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Mathurin, 20, told the Washington Post that James is going to have to prove he’s a better pro basketball player than him.
“A lot of people say he’s great,” Mathurin told the Post. “I want to see how great he is. I don’t think anybody is better than me. He’s going to have to show me he’s better than me.”
Per Blavtiy, Mathurin was the No. 6 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft and said he wants to win the 2023 rookie of the year award. He survived tragedy and a tough upbringing in a troubled neighborhood in Montreal to get to NBA.
READ MORE: Naomi Osaka and LeBron James Launch New Media Company
“It was a pretty rough neighborhood,” Mathurin said. “It wasn’t easy. There were people who chose the wrong path. A lot of people died. Drugs. Guns. Shootings and violent stuff. I’ve always been around it. That really shaped me as a person. I learned to be grateful. My family kept me focused on the things I wanted to do. Basketball is really what saved me.”
At 12 years old, his 15-year-old brother Jeune died after being hit by a car.
“A car hit him,” the Canada-born athlete said. “I was at home. He just didn’t come back from school. My mom was wondering what happened. She received a call. She went to the hospital. She found him. It was hard for my mom, my sister and my whole family. We didn’t move on easily. It took a couple years to get used to it.”
The first Pacers-Lakers game should be interesting ???? pic.twitter.com/j63EZEowNb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 25, 2022
Meanwhile, when it comes to LeBron… we reported previously that he is officially a billionaire! Forbes reported the big news earlier this month, welcoming the NBA star into the three commas clubs. According to the business site, the 18-time NBA all-star, 4-time NBA champion, and 4-time MVP has made more than $1.2 billion in his professional career.
He has earned more than $385 million in NBA salaries from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2021 James’ racked up $121.2 million, which made him the second-highest paid athlete in the world behind fútbol superstar Lionel Messi at the time. However, according to Forbes, he is currently the NBA’s highest-paid active player.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
