Xavier Tillman, Sr. on what Marcus Smart told him about the Boston Celtics

justin quinn

Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 12:27 AM·4 min read

It helps to have an advance scout when you are playing a team that has seen a lot of change from one season to the next, and when you are the one changing teams, an advance scout of sorts can also be very helpful. That’s the situation new Boston Celtics backup big man Xavier Tillman, Sr. recently found himself in after being dealt from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Celtics.

Tillman had the pleasure of playing alongside former Boston floor general Marcus Smart this season, and when word broke he was headed to Smart’s former team ahead of the 2024 NBA deadline, the Flower Mound native had some pearls of wisdom for Tillman.

“He was just telling me about his experience here,” said the former Memphis big in his first appearance to the Boston media corp via NBC Sports Boston.

A look at the Celtics roster after the trade deadline https://t.co/AzVD8VTxu3 pic.twitter.com/z2CKoWK3ch
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 10, 2024

“The main thing he told me is, (Boston) is very similar to Memphis in terms of the grit and the grind and how hard you have to work for the fans’ appreciation,” he later added. “And once you do show that you’re willing to hustle, they’re going to love you after that.”

It certainly worked for Smart, to say the least.

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