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Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin has been impressive in the first two seasons of his NBA career. The third-year guard is already a crucial player in Indiana's young core, finishing fourth on the Pacers' scoring charts last season.
The Pacers guard was seen motivating a highly-touted high school prospect in a pickup game, with videos of the run posted to X on Tuesday afternoon.
The high school prospect in the video is former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas' son, Alijah Arenas. Arenas is a five-star recruit, per 247Sports, and is ranked as the No. 5 recruit nationally and the No. 4 recruit in California for the class of 2026.
Mathurin offered some light trash talk at first, saying, "His a** scared," referring to Arenas. The Pacers guard then jokingly told Arenas, "Get the f**k out of the way."
Arenas didn't back down, though, as the five-star shooting guard went at Mathurin on the next possession and hit a contested three-pointer later in the possession. Alijah Arenas went right back at Mathurin on defense, with the Pacers guard encouraging Arenas to pick him up defensively full-court.
Mathurin then hit a highly-contested three-pointer over Arenas despite solid defense from the young guard.
Bennedict Mathurin preparing for third season with Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin is training for his third NBA season this offseason, looking to build on his year-two performance.
In 2023-24, Bennedict Mathurin averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 44.6% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc. The Pacers guard appeared in 59 games last season, making 19 starts.
Mathurin is eyeing a bounce-back season after suffering a torn labrum in March 2024. The guard injured his shoulder versus the Dallas Mavericks on March 5 and was ruled out for the remainder of the season upon further evaluation.
Despite the blow to one of the NBA's best bench units, the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, topping the New York Knicks in seven games in the Conference semifinals.
With Mathurin returning this season, the Pacers could be in for similar success in 2024-25.
