“I Don’t Think Anybody Is Better Than Me”: NBA Rookie Calls Out LeBron James While Revealing His Goals for the Upcoming Season

Published 06/25/2022, 9:00 AM EDT

The NBA Draft 2022 helped bring in new talent to the league. Many hopeful young stars were drafted by the teams to showcase their quality on the biggest stage in basketball. While many of them will be hoping to make a name for themselves in the years to come, there is one particular draftee who feels nobody is better than him, not even LeBron James.

Former Arizona Wildcats star, Bennedict Mathurin revealed what he feels about the ‘King’. Having been selected as the sixth overall pick in the draft by the Indiana Pacers, he certainly made waves among his peers with his comments. While it is commendable to have confidence in yourself at this young age, he’ll have to back it up now in the league.

Article continues below this ad

The shooting guard can prove to be a good pickup by a Pacers team looking for scorers. He played two years in college before declaring for the draft this season. While players at his age look up to LeBron James, he doesn’t seem to fear the future Hall of Famer.

The rookie wants to test LeBron James

Mathurin averaged 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in his two years as an Arizona Wildcat. His stats were much better in his sophomore year as compared to his rookie season. He is a decent shooter of the ball, but perhaps the best part about him is his explosiveness. Early NBA comparisons were made for him with stars such as Zach Lavine and Jaylen Brown.

Bennedict Mathurin wants to test LeBron James 👀 (via @washingtonpost):
“A lot of people say he’s great. 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.” pic.twitter.com/cx3ghu9n1R
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 24, 2022

Stephen Curry Pounding on Michael Jordan’s Face Moments After Beating Kevin Durant Left NBA Fans in a World of Disbelief

While he can score in a variety of ways, his defense is what will likely determine his ceiling as an NBA player. One of the anticipated matchups for the rookie in the upcoming season will be against the Los Angeles Lakers. Mathurin called out LeBron James after being selected by the Indiana Pacers.

Article continues below this ad

He said, “A lot of people think he’s great. 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.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Billionaire LeBron James’ Best Ever Investments Over the Years

Article continues below this ad

Making comments like this at the King’s peril requires a lot of confidence. Only time will tell whether the rookie can translate his big talk on the court.

What do you think about Mathurin’s comments? Let us know in the comments.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Pragya is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed Masters in Sports Management from the International Institute of Sports Management, Mumbai, he has been a passionate fan of the NBA since 2010. Pragya is a massive supporter of LeBron James and just wants to enjoy the twilight years of his Hall of Fame career.

Edited by:

Veer Badani

“I Don’t Think Anybody Is Better Than Me”: NBA Rookie Calls Out LeBron James While Revealing His Goals for the Upcoming Season

The rookie wants to test LeBron James

Trending

Shaq Warns Lakers Locker Room Of Jeanie Buss Game Plan If Darvin Ham & Co Fail Vs Nuggets

Heat Injury Report: Latest On Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson Ahead of Game 2 vs Celtics

“So Rigged”: All Hell Breaks Loose as Jamal Murray Forces LeBron James’ Lakers Into Bitter Embarrassment

Marcus Takes Eyes Away From GF Larsa Pippen to Acknowledge Father Michael Jordan’s Talladega Victory

Billionaire Michael Jordan’s $61 Million Arrival in Talladega Saw Unusual Absence of Wife Yvette Prieto