Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, faculty in East Lansing, {and professional} ball in Memphis, Tennessee. Xavier Tillman has by no means been a metropolis man.
Now a member of the Boston Celtics, he’s experiencing it for the primary time. The huge buildings, brilliant lights, and incomparable roar of a TD Backyard crowd. However none of these issues had been his first commentary.
When requested concerning the “Massholes” on the roads, Tillman had by no means heard the time period, however he deadpanned mid-question and knew precisely what it meant.
“Sure,” Tillman instructed CelticsBlog with out skipping a beat. “I don’t even know [that word], however I really feel like I do know. Yeah.”
The visitors has been Tillman’s greatest takeaway from metropolis life up to now, and Boston metropolis life, specifically.
“And I’ve seen folks simply swerve,” Tillman mentioned. “I’m like, ‘Hey, the place you going? After which I look down like, ‘Oh!’ No, I don’t need that.”
Even when posed with the query of what dwelling in Boston has been like, the visitors was his first response.
“Town could be very attention-grabbing,” Tillman mentioned. “So, the place I used to be at Memphis wasn’t very — I used to be within the suburb on the market, so there actually wasn’t loads of visitors happening. Like, the roads weren’t loopy. Fairly normal.
“And after I received right here, all of the tunnels and the weaves and stuff like that’s like, ‘Oh man, that is loopy.’ Site visitors’s decently dangerous out right here. Nevertheless it’s fairly cool, although. I’ve by no means been within the metropolis vibe like this, so it’s been fairly superior.”
Since attending to town, Tillman, a self-declared “foodie,” has been in search of some native eating places. He’s already tried a lobster roll, which he loved, and is in search of some “good Italian spots” as nicely. The 25-year-old is keen to discover his new residence and have extra “genuine Massachusetts” meals.
However extra importantly, he’s able to embrace the group.
Tillman participated within the last Sr. Celtics occasion of the yr in partnership with NEBH.
He and former Celtic Leon Powe performed playing cards, checkers, chess, and bingo with over 75 senior residents whereas watching a replay of Recreation 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals. Invoice Russell put up 30 factors and 40 rebounds in a 110-107 Celtics win.
It was Tillman’s first time taking part in an occasion like this since becoming a member of the Celtics, however the video games didn’t go in response to plan.
“I’m an excellent card participant, however they weren’t taking part in the playing cards that I used to be used to,” Tillman mentioned with a smile.
Tillman was all smiles when taking part in playing cards at a desk with a number of the attendees. And whereas they had been excited to fulfill a member of the Celtics, he was excited to attach with members of his new group.
“They’re very humbling, to be sincere with you,” Tillman mentioned of these kind of occasions. “Simply sort of right down to earth. Getting to attach with folks. Clearly, they see you as like, ‘Oh man, you get to be on the court docket. On TV,’ this, that, and a 3rd. However for me, it’s getting a chance simply to attach with folks and get to see what different folks love to do and stuff like that. So, it’s fairly superior.”
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