Xavier Tillman

About

Xavier Justis Tillman Sr. (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for Trabzonspor of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the FIBA Champions League. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Tillman was selected with the 35 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night. After nearly four seasons with the Grizzlies, Tillman was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2024 and won his first NBA championship with the team that year in a 4–1 series against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.

In his childhood, Tillman played baseball, soccer, football and basketball, but preferred the latter two sports. He stood 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) when he was 14 years old. Tillman played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Grand Rapids Storm.

In his freshman season for Forest Hills Central in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he averaged 13.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game, earning Associated Press Class A All-State special mention honors. As a sophomore, Tillman averaged 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and led his team…