Matisse Thybulle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matisse Thybulle

Thybulle with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019
No. 4 – Portland Trail Blazers
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1997-03-04) March 4, 1997 (age 28) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Nationality	Australian / American
High school	Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Washington)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Washington (2015–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–2023	Philadelphia 76ers
2023–present	Portland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2021, 2022) Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2019) Lefty Driesell Award (2019) NCAA steals leader (2019) First-team All-Pac-12 (2019) 2× Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019) 2× Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2018, 2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Australia Olympic Games Bronze 2020 Tokyo Team

Matisse Thybulle (born March 4, 1997) is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Matisse is known for his amazing defense. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice.

Matisse played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. In 2019, he was named the best defensive player in college basketball. He won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award.

Matisse has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both America and Australia. He lived in Sydney, Australia, for seven years as a child. He also played for the Australian national team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where they won a bronze medal.

Early Life and Growing Up

Matisse Thybulle was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the United States. His father, Greg, was an engineer from Haiti. His mother, Elizabeth, was a naturopath. Matisse was named after a famous French artist, Henri Matisse.

In 1998, when Matisse was one year old, his family moved to Sydney, Australia. They lived there for seven years. While in Australia, Matisse focused more on swimming than basketball. He said lifeguards were "a really big deal" there.

In 2005, his family moved back to the U.S. They settled in Sammamish, Washington. Matisse didn't consistently make layups until he was around eight years old. This is when his speed and coordination started to work together. He went to Skyline High School for two years. Then, he transferred to Eastside Catholic, where he graduated in 2015. In 2024, Eastside Catholic High School honored Matisse by retiring his jersey number.

College Basketball Career

Matisse chose to play for the University of Washington because of his good relationship with the Huskies coach, Lorenzo Romar.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

As a freshman in the 2015–16 season, Matisse started all 34 games. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. In his second year (2016–17), he averaged 10.5 points and 2.1 steals. However, the Huskies only won two conference games that season. After this, Coach Romar was no longer the coach.

Becoming a Defensive Star

Matisse thought about leaving the team after his coach left. But he decided to stay after meeting the new coach, Mike Hopkins. Coach Hopkins convinced him to stay by explaining his plan to use a special 2–3 zone defense. This defense was known for being very strong.

Thybulle playing in 2019

In the 2017–18 season, Matisse became a key part of the Huskies' defense. He helped the team win 20 games for the first time in years. He was named the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year. This was a first for a player from his school. He set a new Huskies record with 101 steals in one season. He also led the team with 49 blocks.

In the 2018–19 season, Matisse continued to shine. He helped the Huskies win a share of the Pac-12 regular season title. He won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Lefty Driesell Award. These awards recognize the best defensive player in the entire nation. He also won the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award again.

Matisse led all college players with 126 steals that season. This broke the Pac-12 record previously held by Jason Kidd. He also had 83 blocks, making him one of the few players to record over 100 steals and 80 blocks in two decades. He became the Pac-12's all-time leader in career steals with 331. He also tied the Huskies' career blocks record with 186.

Professional Basketball Career

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2023)

The Philadelphia 76ers were very interested in Matisse Thybulle before the 2019 NBA draft. They wanted a player who could help them win a championship right away. The 76ers promised to pick him in the first round. They traded with the Boston Celtics to get the 20th pick and select him.

Matisse signed with the 76ers on July 3, 2019. He made his NBA debut on October 23, 2019. He scored three points and had two steals and two blocks in a win against the Celtics. In December 2019, he scored 20 points and had five three-pointers and three steals in a game. He was only the second 76ers rookie to do this since 1983.

In his second season (2020–21), Matisse was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. This was a big honor, even though he played only about 20 minutes per game. He led the NBA in steals per possession and deflections. The 76ers extended his contract through the 2022–23 season in October 2021.

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–Present)

On February 9, 2023, Matisse was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. This trade involved four different teams. He played his first game for the Trail Blazers on February 13, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds.

Playing for Australia

Matisse Thybulle is a citizen of both Australia and the United States. This means he could choose to play for either country's national team. He decided to represent the Australian Boomers.

On February 3, 2021, Matisse was named to the Australian team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Olympics were delayed until 2021. Matisse helped Australia win their first-ever Olympic medal in men's basketball. They won the bronze medal game against Slovenia.

Career Statistics

Matisse Thybulle's career statistics show his performance in the NBA and college.

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

Personal Life

Matisse Thybulle is Catholic. He was confirmed as a child.

See also

In Spanish: Matisse Thybulle para niños