If it weren’t for Steven Adams and Brandon Clark being injured, it would be difficult for xeville Tilman to get into the main rotation in the playoffs, let alone play 32 minutes as the starting center.
Beat the Lakers in the Grizzlies 103-93 to chase the big score of the series into a 1-1 flat game. Tillman scored 22 points and 13 rebounds in the 13 shots 10 in 32 minutes. The above data all hit a new high in his playoff career.
Why does this short Center with a height of only 2 meters 01 show off in the second round? Tillman’s experience does not match those vulgar inspirational plots. In him, what you can feel is “sureness” and “strong sense of responsibility”.
Tillman in high school was a basketball star in Michigan. Although he was not tall, Tillman scored 16 points and 10.4 rebounds in the third season of senior high school, and 13.9 points in the fourth season of senior high school, 10.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 4.2 Cap, scoring, coping, and defense.
At this age, ordinary high school students focus on their studies and enjoy basketball. Tillman’s life track has changed because of a love affair. According to a mutual friend, Tillman met Tamia. In Tillman’s words, they fell in love at first sight and fell in love quickly.
A few months later, Tillman, who was still in senior three, learned that Tamia was pregnant, while Tillman was less than 17 years old at that time. In the black neighborhood, such plots are performed every day, and different people have different choices.
If you have seen the famous movie “Coach Carter” and seen the high school student player Kenyon in the play learn about the tangle when his girlfriend is pregnant, you can understand Tillman’s mood. On the one hand, there is a basketball career with unlimited prospects, and on the other hand, there are girlfriends and flesh and blood. How should Tillman, who has not graduated from high school, choose?
Tillman made the most manly and correct choice of three views-I want both.
In the fourth season of senior high school, 17-year-old Tillman ushered in the birth of his daughter aianna. The arrival of the Little Angel made Tillman surrounded by happiness and hard work at the same time. Tillman’s hard work can be imagined when he wants to hit the college basketball scholarship and fight for the future while learning how to be a husband and father. But Tillman said that he never wanted to retreat, and it was definitely not his style to abandon at first and end.
Six months after Anna was born, Tillman was engaged to Tamia, and they planned to keep going. In addition, Tillman declined the invitation from the University of Michigan and chose to go to Michigan University, where handsome Tom Izzo coached. This was another decision made for the family, because Michigan University was closer to home, moreover, Michigan University allowed him to take his fiancee and children to go to college and provided meticulous care to his small family.
There is a whiteboard hanging in the apartment where Tillman lives, which not only reads Tillman’s daily training plan and diet plan, but also his daily interaction plan with his daughter. Tillman was very hard, but he was very happy. He could completely leave his fiancee and daughter in his hometown, but he chose to live with them just because he didn’t want to lose his place during his daughter’s growth, this is a man’s sense of responsibility.
“This made me see the true meaning of being a parent. You know, it’s really great to watch my daughter grow up, interact with her, take her out to play and do something.” Tillman said.
“If I want to be a father, I have to accept this role from the bottom of my heart. I can’t be a student in college myself. It is impossible to leave my child because I have a father role in name.”
In the view of Tillman’s mother Powell-May, the role of father changed Tillman, and Tillman was a selfish “child” before his daughter was born “. After becoming a father, Tillman quickly matured and became a responsible man.
Coach Izzo praised his Disciple: “His performance is so good. If I change it to me, I can’t do it to his level. Let’s just say that 10 people face this kind of experience, and 9 people will live a life as a disaster.”
Tillman switches between basketball players and roles of father and husband every day. He does very well. In the 2017-18 season, Tillman only got 8.7 minutes in the first season, with 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. This season, he just adapted to his new life, practiced his internal skills silently and lost weight. In Tillman’s own words, he was a “little fat man” when he went to Michigan “.
In the 2018-19 season, Tillman’s playing time increased to 24 minutes, and the data also increased to 10 points and 7.3 rebounds. One of his teammates and brothers are fine. They love to help Tillman take care of his daughter. Anna is simply a favorite of Michigan. On the court, Tillman and a group of brothers went all the way to the final four of the NCAA. Unfortunately, they lost to Texas Tech University and missed the final. During the offseason, Tillman married Tamia and gave Tamia a formal title.
In the 2019-20 season, Tillman became the new Raymond Green cultivated by Izzo. He averaged 13.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3 assists, it only took 31 games to send out 37 steals and 65 caps. Tillman and Michigan sword pointed to the NCAA champion, but the epidemic led to the cancellation of the “crazy March” championship. Tillman’s dream of champion was broken in this helpless way. This season, Tillman’s happiest thing is that his son little xeville was born.
“The epidemic ruined our dream of finishing our unfinished business,” Tillman said. After the final final fourth of the sophomore season, he wrote the word “REDEMPTION” (REDEMPTION) on himself, “My only goal in the junior season is to win the championship.”
After finishing the junior season, Tillman struggled to participate in the NBA draft in advance or stay in the team to win the championship in the last year. He asked many people’s opinions because he was not sure how the epidemic would affect the season in senior season, in addition, some NBA teams clearly expressed their interest in Tillman, and Tillman chose to participate in the draft in advance.
Many people don’t know that Tillman is a bully. In a Michigan football game, Tillman, as a communication major student, got an average score of 3.6 points and accepted the academic award. After deciding to participate in the NBA draft ahead of time, Tillman finished his studies ahead of time. In the summer of 2020, he took six courses and graduated ahead of time.
In the NBA draft conference in 2020, Tillman was selected by the King in the 35th round and then traded to the grizzly bear. Because of the rich talent inside the grizzly bear, Tillman’s playing time is not much, but every time he plays, Tillman can always contribute energy.
Tillman’s playing style was inherited from his mother Powell-May, who worked for the University of Michigan at that time. When she finished her career, she was the rebounder of school history. Powell may taught Tillman how to go all out to fight.
After entering the NBA, Tillman confirmed the template for himself to be the senior brother of Michigan University, and also the Warrior star Green who showed up in the second round. “Green is one of the players I imitated. We both have the same figure and weight. We all advocate defense and we can all respond to the offensive.”
In the series with the Lakers, Tillman played a green-style game. He defended Anthony Davis to 9 shots and 4 shots, and restricted LeBron James to 6 shots and 2 shots, force Zhan Mei to make three mistakes. In the two matches, Tillman sent out 6 assists, and the attack he sent at the high level was through ball like a green.
Of course, he is more calm than green with explosive temper.
In 2020, Tillman had not participated in the talent show at that time. Because of the epidemic, he could only accept media group visits online. As the camera was over, Tillman was “dressing up my superhero”. He carefully put a bow on his daughter’s neck.
Many players will talk about dreams and shout a lot of slogans when looking back on their career history, while Tillman is different. What he does is for his family. In his view, family will only bring him help, and will not bring resistance.
Such Tillman is very simple, but also very real.
