Dort, Mathurin families unite for Montreal North community during NBA Finals
Global News
Born to Haitian immigrants, Dort and Mathurin grew up just blocks apart in Montreal North, a tough borough with one of Canada’s largest Haitian communities.
Luguentz Dort and Bennedict Mathurin are going head-to-head on the court — but off it, their families are on the same team.
While Dort’s Oklahoma City Thunder battled Mathurin’s Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, the players’ mothers and sisters watched side by side in Montreal, coming together to celebrate two homegrown talents with deep ties.
“This is about unity,” said Berline Dort, Luguentz’s sister. “It’s not about rivalry.”
The Mathurin Family Foundation and the Maizon Dort Foundation collaborated for a charity watch party — one of many across the city — at Verdun Auditorium.
Basketball moms Erline Mortel (Dort) and Elvie Jeune (Mathurin) sat together and posed for pictures in the arena’s viewing area, not long after Dort swiped the ball from Mathurin’s hands six minutes into Game 2.
“They came here for a better opportunity. They came here to offer their children a better life,” said Jennifer Mathurin, Bennedict’s sister. “Our families are sitting here, cheering family members in the NBA … it means the world.
“At the end of the day, we’re all champions.”
Born to Haitian immigrants, Dort and Mathurin grew up blocks away from each other in the rough-and-tumble Montreal North borough, home to one of Canada’s largest Haitian populations.
