The Bennedict Mathurin Mic'd Up Experience During NBA Rising Stars Challenge Was Wild

On Friday night, the NBA kicked off the actual basketball portion of All-Star Weekend by putting on the annual Rising Stars challenge, featuring all of the best young players the league has to offer. This year TNT added a welcome addition to the broadcast in the form of a mic'd up Bennedict Mathurin. The Indiana Pacers scorer wanted to put on a show for the hometown crowd and did so, winning Rising Stars MVP as part of Team Jalen en route to a victory. He also put on a show for the crowd at home.

The most notable incident came early on in the form of Mathurin talking a bunch of trash to division rival Jaden Ivey, participating as a representative of the Detroit Pistons. Mathurin told Ivey he could not guard him in the regular season or in the Rising Stars, indicating he was already taking things a lot more seriously than most of his peers do for these events.

It is always fascinating to see these elite athletes try to get under each other's skin. In this instance it was especially interesting to see Ivey's response, which was not very much. A couple of "what you say?" comments and otherwise just that weird forehead-bumping thing basketball players like to do. Maybe he knew Mathurin was mic'd up and didn't want to get in trouble. Maybe that's just who Ivey is-- a guy who takes the trash talk with a grim smile and then goes out to try to dominate in response. Either way, fascinating.

Ivey probably smiled a real smile later on, though. Mathurin was at the free throw line with the chance to end the game, with his team sitting at 38 points and needing 40 to win. Paolo Banchero was trying to get into Mathurin's head so the Pacers forward bet Banchero $25,000 he'd make both. Shades of Kobe Bryant betting Gerald Wallace half a million at the line a few years ago. Kobe made his free throw and won his bet. Mathurin... did not.

Just tremendous content. And then he ended up winning the whole thing anyway. What a ride.