India, June 12 -- Bennedict Mathurin, the Indiana Pacers guard, just put up a career-defining performance in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, scoring 27 points off the bench in a 116-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But for those just now discovering the rising Canadian star, let's take a closer look at who he is, where he came from, and why the basketball world should keep watching.

Born and raised in Montreal, Mathurin didn't take the typical route to NBA stardom. He was the first Canadian-born player to commit to the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City. From there, he made his way to college basketball at the University of Arizona.

Now, at Arizona, during his sophomore season (2021-22), Mathurin averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 r...