Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin’s Trash Talk to Jaden Ivey Takes Unique Turn in Rising Stars Game

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Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin gave the hometown fans a treat to begin the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend. As a member of Team Jalen in the Rising Stars game, Mathurin led all scorers with 18 points in a 40-35 victory over Team Tamika during the semifinals. He also fueled numerous viral moments in the game, with one specifically standing out.

It featured Mathurin trash-talking Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, who was featured on Team Tamika. Mathurin told Ivey that “even in the Rising Stars game,” he can’t guard him. While Ivey initially seemed not to hear Mathurin and was seen smiling, Indiana’s second-year guard had no problem repeating himself, resulting in an immediate change in body language from the Detroit guard.

The trash talk from Mathurin, who was named the 2024 Rising Star’s MVP, created a rarely seen tense moment between players during an All-Star event. It was ultimately Mathurin who got the last laugh, not only leading Team Jalen past Ivey’s squad but also helping his team win the championship game 26-13 over Team Detlef, a group made up of the top players in the NBA G League.

But it wasn’t all victories for the Pacers guard, who lost a $25k bet to Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. Mathurin offered up the bet to Banchero when he was on the free throw line with a chance to win the game, stating he’d make both attempts to lock up the victory. Mathurin didn’t get the job done then but did manage to hit the game-winner shortly after.

As for his back-and-forth with Ivey, Mathurin seemingly cleared the air in a postgame interview, calling the Pistons guard a “great player” and stating that there’s “no hate.”

“He’s a great player. I love playing against him. My challenge is to always bring my best against him. You know he was drafted ahead of me. But also, the thing is, I feel like he brings the best out of me every time we compete against each other. So, there’s no hate,” Mathurin told the broadcast crew of Ivey. “He’s a great guy, he’s a great player, and he’s gonna have a great career. But, every time I’m playing against him, I have that in me.”