Quebecois Olivier-Maxence Prosper felt he would be selected in the first round.
Two days before the NBA draft, his agent left a call saying he’d been invited to the “Green Room,” a secluded area in front of the stage where the best hopes meet with their families. For him, this was already a good sign that his vision would soon become a reality.
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The dream came true when he heard his name from the Sacramento Kings in #24. However, the Kings, along with Richaun Holmes, relinquished that pick to the Dallas Mavericks.
Barely recovering from his emotions, Prosper told the Toronto Star on Friday that he had been in good contact with the Texas organization and that they had shown an interest in him.
“It’s great to be a maverick. I had a very nice first impression when I trained with them for the first time. I felt good and felt at home,” he said.
He is now convinced that he can still improve and reach the greatest heights.
“The player you have now is not the player you will have in five or six years,” the former Marquette University Golden Eagles retorted.
The 20-year-old athlete will also have a chance to play alongside star Mavericks player Luka Doncic.
Basketball in Quebec is booming
In a sign that Quebec basketball is doing well, Prosper became the second Quebecer drafted in the first round by a team from the Silver Circuit. The Indiana Pacers had their sights set on Bennedict Mathurin in sixth place at the 2022 auction.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante immediately congratulated the Mavericks’ newest member, noting via her Twitter account that “Montreal once again proves it’s a basketball city.”
Congratulations to Montreal’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper for his first round selection of the @NBA!
Montreal proves once again that it is a basketball city. To cheer! 🙌🏀#polmtl pic.twitter.com/53EWdmcUhi
— Valerie Plante (@Val_Plante) June 23, 2023
We tend to give him a reason as the number of Montrealers playing in the NBA keeps growing. In addition to Prosper, here are the four other athletes from Belle Province who will progress to the Silver Circuit in 2023-2024.
Bennedict Mathurin
Getty Images via AFP
Mathurin establishes himself as a star player in the NBA. The guard played 78 games for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He was also named to the Rookie All-Star Team for the 2022-2023 season. The Montreal-born North player last year became the first Quebecer to be selected by an NBA team.
Luguentz there
Getty Images via AFP
There, he was eliminated from all 30 teams in the 2019 draft and signed a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Montreal native made his big league debut in 2019–20. He’s been a key player ever since, forming an explosive duo with fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder gave him their full confidence last year by offering him a lucrative five-year deal worth $87.5 million.
Chris Butcher
Getty Images via AFP
After playing just one game for the Golden State Warriors in 2017-2018, Chris Boucher joined the ranks of the Toronto Raptors. The 30-year-old athlete was also never drafted and will be in his sixth season for the Queen City team. In 2022, Boucher signed a three-year contract with the Raptors for a total of $35.25 million.
Khem Birsh
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Khem Birch completed his baptism of fire with the Orlando Magic in 2017 on the world’s largest basketball circuit. The Montreal native then played for three seasons with the Raptors before moving to the San Antonio Spurs.