Xavier Tillman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Xavier Tillman

Tillman with the Boston Celtics in 2024
No. 26 – Boston Celtics
Power Forward
Personal information
Born	(1999-01-12) January 12, 1999 (age 26) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Forest Hills Central (Grand Rapids, Michigan) Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College	Michigan State (2017–2020)
NBA Draft	2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro career	2020–present
League	NBA
Career history
2020–2024	Memphis Grizzlies
2022–2023	→Memphis Hustle
2024–present	Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2024) Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2020) Second-team All-Big Ten (2020) Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2019)

Xavier Justis Tillman Sr. (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.

Early Life and Sports

When Xavier was a kid, he played many sports. These included baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. He liked football and basketball the most. By the time he was 14, Xavier was already 6 feet 5 inches tall! He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for a team called the Grand Rapids Storm.

High School Basketball Journey

Xavier started his high school basketball career at Forest Hills Central in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a freshman, he scored about 14 points and grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game. He also blocked 4.3 shots per game. In his second year, he helped his team achieve a great 23–1 record.

Later, Xavier decided to transfer to Grand Rapids Christian. This move was to help him focus more on his schoolwork. Even though he couldn't play right away due to transfer rules, he still worked hard. In his junior year, he averaged 16 points and 10.4 rebounds. He helped his new team win conference and district titles. As a senior, he continued to shine, averaging 13.9 points and 10.9 rebounds. He also had 5.2 assists and 4.2 blocks per game. He led his team to the Class A state championship game.

Xavier was a highly sought-after player by colleges. He chose to play for Michigan State. He picked them because they played against top teams and were close to his home.

College Career Highlights

Tillman playing for Michigan State in 2020

Xavier Tillman started playing for Michigan State on November 10, 2017. In his first game, he scored four points and grabbed three rebounds. As a freshman, he worked hard to improve his fitness. He lost a lot of weight to become a better player.

In his second year, Xavier started to make a bigger impact. He achieved his first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two categories, like points and rebounds). He scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in one game. He also set a career high with five blocks in another game. By the end of the season, he was named the Big Ten Conference Sixth Player of the Year. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench. He also helped his team beat top-ranked Duke in the NCAA tournament.

In his junior year, Xavier continued to excel. He scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a game. He also had a game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks. He was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. After this successful season, Xavier decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft to become a professional player.

Professional Basketball Journey

Memphis Grizzlies (2020–2024)

Tillman with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021

Xavier Tillman was picked by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA draft. He was the 35th player chosen overall. However, on the same night, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He signed his first NBA contract with the Grizzlies in November 2020. In April 2021, he had a great game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

Xavier helped the Grizzlies reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. He played well in their playoff games. In March 2022, he scored a season-high 16 points against the Indiana Pacers. The Grizzlies won their first-round playoff series that year.

In April 2023, Xavier had an amazing playoff game. He scored a playoff-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. This helped his team win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston Celtics (2024–present)

On February 7, 2024, Xavier Tillman was traded to the Boston Celtics. He joined the Celtics and helped them win the 2024 NBA Finals. This was a huge achievement for him and the team! In July 2024, he signed a new contract to stay with the Celtics.

Career Statistics

Here are some statistics from Xavier Tillman's career in the NBA and college. These numbers show how he performed in games.

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2020–21	Memphis	59	12	18.4	.559	.338	.642	4.3	1.3	.7	.6	6.6
2021–22	Memphis	53	2	13.2	.454	.204	.648	3.0	1.2	.9	.3	4.8
2022–23	Memphis	61	29	19.3	.614	.267	.551	5.0	1.6	1.0	.5	7.0
2023–24	Memphis	34	13	20.6	.408	.226	.419	4.6	1.7	1.2	1.0	6.0
2023–24	Boston	20	2	13.7	.515	.286	.571	2.7	1.0	.5	.5	4.0
Career		227	58	17.4	.522	.267	.574	4.1	1.4	.9	.5	6.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2021	Memphis	3	0	5.9	.200	.000	—	1.0	.3	.3	.0	.7
2022	Memphis	9	6	15.5	.720	.500	.500	3.3	.7	.7	.1	4.4
2023	Memphis	6	6	30.5	.533	.250	.600	8.0	3.2	.7	.7	8.7
2024	Boston	8	0	8.6	.625	1.000	1.000	1.8	.4	.4	.4	1.5
Career		26	12	15.7	.578	.375	.583	3.7	1.1	.5	.3	4.1

College

Family Life

Xavier Tillman's parents are Roosevelt Tillman and Tanya Powell-May. His mother was also a college basketball player for Michigan. She was a great rebounder for her team.

Xavier has three older brothers named R.J., Ben, and Parker. He also has a younger sister named Madisyn. Parker was a successful athlete in high school, winning state championships in wrestling and rugby.

Xavier is married to Tamia Tillman. They have three children: a daughter named Ayanna, a son named Xavier Jr., and another daughter named Leilani. His college coach, Tom Izzo, even said that having his daughter Ayanna helped Xavier become a better basketball player!

See also

In Spanish: Xavier Tillman para niños