Lu Dort, Bennedict Mathurin and a Montreal brotherhood that brought both to NBA Finals

New York Times

a day ago

MONTREAL — If you can believe it, there will be more Montrealers in this year's NBA Finals than in this year's Stanley Cup Final. The connections between the two players run far deeper than just being from the same home city.
Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers and Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder grew up minutes from each other in the Montreal-North borough. They played at nearby courts — and eventually for the same basketball programs. Both men are from Haitian families. Both played in the same state during their college careers.
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'Benn is kind of a brother to me, honestly,' Dort said Sunday.
'I would call him a brother right now,' Mathurin said three days later. 'But (now) we're enemies.'
They are competitive on the court and close friends off it. When Mathurin made history in 2022 by becoming Montreal's highest draft pick ever (No. 6), he celebrated with a handful of his closest family members and friends in New York. Dort, who by then had established himself in the NBA after going undrafted in 2019, was among them.
'It's almost like (Lu was) passing the baton,' Jenn Mathurin, Bennedict's sister, said in a phone interview. 'But not really because they're still playing and competing against each other at the same time.'
Dort and Mathurin are among the four Canadians in this year's finals, a list that includes Thunder MVP guard and Hamilton, Ont., native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard. But this meeting doubles as a seminal moment for the burgeoning Montreal hoops scene, which has experienced a revival in recent years.
'It will be huge for Montreal,' Dort said. 'Especially Montreal-North. We're the two NBA players that's from there. Most of the people back home cheer for either Indiana or OKC. It's big for the basketball world in Montreal, the people that will enjoy it will watch two kids from Montreal in the finals, which will be huge.'
The connections don't stop at neighborhood familiarity. Their families know each other well; Dort knew Mathurin's older brother, Dominique, who was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding his bicycle. Dort and Bennedict Mathurin played for the same local basketball programs, the Parc Ex Knights and Brookwood Elite, a Montreal-based AAU team. Their former coaches Nelson Ossé and Joey McKittrick have stories for days on when they knew they'd be NBA players.
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'He never won (any) accolades in our program,' Ossé said about Dort. 'Never won any trophy as our best player. And he was by far one of our best players. His demeanor was always making sure we win games.'
Even as a youngster, Dort valued winning over individual performances. That didn't stop him from being a star when it mattered, like when he hit a buzzer-beater after grabbing a full-court pass while playing on Brookwood's U15 team.
'His shooting back then was less to be desired,' McKittrick said. 'But he made the shot.'
Years later, Mathurin outdid his adopted older brother, nailing a game-winning shot of his own while getting the better of future NBA star Evan Mobley.
'He couldn't dunk the ball because he had two 7-footers collapsing the paint, so he was able to go up and under,' McKittrick said. 'He gets knocked to the floor and game over. We win.'
And Mathurin's signature confidence was always on display.
'From being 11-12 years old,' Ossé said, 'you would see Benn trying to play against the older guys and act like he was as good and probably even better than them.'
Dort checked on Mathurin's development at every turn. While Dort made a name for himself during the NBA's G League showcase, he regularly checked in with Mathurin as the eventual lottery pick tried to find his way at the Latin America NBA Academy in Mexico City. When Mathurin was invited to Canada Basketball's training camp ahead of last year's Olympics despite being injured, Dort, an established player on the team, congratulated him.
'Lu was still bouncing back and forth on a two-way (contract),' McKittrick said. 'So, he was still figuring out his path, and Benn was still in high school. That's how far back they were checking in on each other. Lu was going to check in on him, even though he wasn't established or hadn't broken his way into the NBA. Like a big brother would.'
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Dort and Mathurin have played each other three times since Mathurin entered the league in 2022. Ossé, who made the trip to visit with both players before their first matchup in January 2023, remembered them going at each other in ping-pong the night before they dueled on the hardwood.
'They had a good time, just hanging out,' Ossé said. 'And the next day, they play.'
Oklahoma City won that first edition of Dort versus Mathurin. Dort scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the win while Mathurin countered with 13 points and five rebounds.
'I remember a lot of competitiveness and a lot of s— talking,' Jenn Mathurin said. 'There's this thing about Montreal that we say. Montreal hoopers are like dogs. We just want it. We're hungry. In the very first game, you could see that. They were going at it, back and forth, at each other like in a rivalry.'
As soon the game ended, the brotherly love returned. Dort and Mathurin swapped jerseys afterward to celebrate their first encounter in the NBA.
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Their upcoming NBA Finals matchup has brought the competitive streak out in both players. Despite their relationship, neither player has spoken to the other about their finals showdown. A grin flashed across Dort's face as he said 'no' after he was asked the question Monday afternoon. Dort then looked away, sighing as he repeated 'no.'
It looked like Dort was playing coy, but Ossé believes him.
'They're competitors first,' Ossé said. 'They want to do well, obviously, you're at the finals. There's no higher ceiling right now. You owe that to your teammates. It's not the time to hang out with your friend, or trying to be friendly with someone who's trying to take something from you. So, I guess that's the mentality they both have.'
Both men know they'll get the opportunity to laugh and reminisce over this matchup long after the playoffs have ended. Only then will they appreciate their postseason runs culminating with the first finals matchup featuring two Montreal-born NBAers.
'We're proud to be on that stage,' Dort said. 'But obviously, only one of us will get the job done. At the end of the day, Montreal is going to be happy.'
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