Less than a week after being chosen in the 2022 NBA Draft, Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin is already gunning for NBA star LeBron James.
Before he has even hit the boards for his first game, Mathurin told the Washington Post, “A lot of people say he’s great. I want to see how great he is.”
Mathurin, who was born in 2002 and is only one year older than LeBron James’ professional basketball career, went on to make the very bold claim that he just might be better than James.
The rookie went on to say, “I don’t think anybody is better than me. He’s going to have to show me he’s better than me.”
Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin/Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
It seems unlikely that James will take much notice of a rookie’s taunting, but it is indicative of the fact that James is getting a bit long in the tooth for a basketball player. But it might not be beyond James to poke a would-be GOAT the first time they meet on the boards.
The 2023 NBA schedule has not yet been released, so it is not yet known when the two will first meet.
Still, Mathurin better get himself in gear. According to the Indianapolis Star, James has averaged 27.4 points per game against the Pacers in his 62 encounters with the team.
Mathurin’s braggadocio aside, James is still the closest thing the modern NBA has for a GOAT.
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