(Longueuil) Bennedict Mathurin, of the Indiana Pacers, completes the loop and gives it to Basketball Without Borders of the Americas, in Longueuil.
The Montrealer was in the world section of the event only three years ago.
Mathurin was the first Canadian to join the NBA Academy in Latin America, Mexico.
At Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, he is one of the instructors along with two other Quebecers in the NBA, Chris Boucher of the Raptors and Luguentz Dort of the Thunder.
At this BSF Americas camp, the other coaches are NBA assistants: Eric Khoury (Raptors), Rodney Billups (Blazers), Joe Boylan (Timberwolves), Quinton Crawford (Mavericks), Bruce Fraser (Warriors) and Jay Hernandez ( net).
Listening and in action are some sixty young people born in 2006, among the best players in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The camp started on Thursday and ends on Sunday.
Earlier this month, the athlete from Montreal North took part in the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, sharing his knowledge with young hopefuls there too.
The six-foot-five, 210-pound player played his first NBA season in 2022-23, after being drafted sixth overall.
Mathurin averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 78 games.
Indiana made some noise before slowing down and missing the playoffs.
The Quebecer said he quickly felt in his place in the Silver circuit.
“Honestly, I got comfortable pretty early on – training camp and Summer League,” Mathurin said.
“As soon as I was able to be 5v5 with my teammates, it was fun. It was really fun. »
Beyond the difficult passages, he believes that the Pacers have a bright future.
“I’m constantly trying to learn and I like adversity,” said Mathurin, who turned 21 on Monday. When it’s hard, it allows me to grow. I want to accomplish several things. I want to win a championship. I want to be a star player. »
In his case, self-confidence is definitely a driving force. This is partly what he wants to teach Basketball Without Borders.
“Every kid is different and confidence, some have more than others,” Mathurin said. It’s mostly a matter of gathering the right stuff: hard work, talent, and confidence. These are the three main ingredients for success. »
