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Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, college in East Lansing, and professional ball in Memphis, Tennessee. Xavier Tillman has never been a city guy.
Now a member of the Boston Celtics, he’s experiencing it for the first time. The massive buildings, bright lights, and incomparable roar of a TD Garden crowd. But none of those things were his first observation.
When asked about the “Massholes” on the roads, Tillman had never heard the term, but he deadpanned mid-question and knew exactly what it meant.
“Yes,” Tillman told CelticsBlog without skipping a beat. “I don’t even know [that word], but I feel like I know. Yeah.”
The traffic has been Tillman’s biggest takeaway from city life so far, and Boston city life, in particular.
“And I’ve seen people just swerve,” Tillman said. “I’m like, ‘Hey, where you going? And then I look down like, ‘Oh!’ No, I don’t want that.”
Even when posed with the question of what living in Boston has been like, the traffic was his first response.
“The city is very interesting,” Tillman said. “So, where I was at Memphis wasn’t very — I was in the suburb out there, so there really wasn’t a lot of traffic going on. Like, the roads weren’t crazy. Pretty standard.
“And when I got here, all the tunnels and the weaves and stuff like that is like, ‘Oh man, this is crazy.’ Traffic’s decently bad out here. But it’s pretty cool, though. I’ve never been in the city vibe like this, so it’s been pretty awesome.”
Since getting to the city, Tillman, a self-declared “foodie,” has been looking for some local restaurants. He’s already tried a lobster roll, which he enjoyed, and is looking for some “good Italian spots” as well. The 25-year-old is eager to explore his new home and have more “authentic Massachusetts” food.
But more importantly, he’s ready to embrace the community.
Tillman participated in the final Sr. Celtics event of the year in partnership with NEBH.
He and former Celtic Leon Powe played cards, checkers, chess, and bingo with over 75 senior citizens while watching a replay of Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals. Bill Russell put up 30 points and 40 rebounds in a 110-107 Celtics win.
It was Tillman’s first time participating in an event like this since joining the Celtics, but the games didn’t go according to plan.
“I’m a very good card player, but they weren’t playing the cards that I was used to,” Tillman said with a smile.
Tillman was all smiles when playing cards at a table with some of the attendees. And while they were excited to meet a member of the Celtics, he was excited to connect with members of his new community.
“They’re very humbling, to be honest with you,” Tillman said of these types of events. “Just kind of down to earth. Getting to connect with people. Obviously, they see you as like, ‘Oh man, you get to be on the court. On TV,’ this, that, and a third. But for me, it’s getting an opportunity just to connect with people and get to see what other people like to do and stuff like that. So, it’s pretty awesome.”
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