It is safe to say Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin is not lacking in confidence. Just look at his comment about LeBron James, basically saying he wants to see if the talks about the Los Angeles Lakers star is true.

Mathurin, who was drafted sixth overall in the 2022 draft, revealed that he is looking forward to facing LeBron and the Lakers in the regular season. The youngster also challenged LeBron and said that the NBA great has to earn his respect.

“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,” Mathurin said before the 2022 NBA Draft, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.

Now those are some big words coming from a kid who is not even the best in his draft class and has yet to prove himself in the NBA.

While it is definitely great to see Bennedict Mathurin brimming with confidence, he needs to put in the work first and actually get the starting nod in the Pacers before he can challenge LeBron James and the Lakers.

As for James, it is unlikely he'll make a big deal out of the stern challenge from the youngster. Besides, he doesn't really have to do anything to show he's better than anyone. However, it will definitely be interesting how he and Mathurin will match up when they meet in the 2022-23 regular season.

Mathurin definitely has the talent to be a great player in the NBA, and perhaps facing LeBron should help him get a better understanding of what he can do.