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<\/p>\nPeople used to crack jokes about Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. for being the tall kid that couldn\u2019t play basketball.<\/p>\n
The middle schooler stood at six-foot-six, but outside of that, his game on the hardwood left a lot to be desired.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t dunk. I couldn\u2019t hoop. I was bad,\u201d Tilmon, the newest member of the Winnipeg Sea Bears, told the Free Press on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the laughingstock around town.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his defence, he took up the sport later than most. He was initially in amateur wrestling until he crossed paths with his school\u2019s basketball coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe coach went, \u2018Who are you? What are you doing?\u2019 I was just like, \u2018I\u2019m on my way to wrestling practice,\u2019\u201d recalled Tilmon.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was like, \u2018No you ain\u2019t.\u2019 From that day forward, he was on me to play basketball. And it ended up working out.\u201d<\/p>\n
After back-to-back summers of playing AAU ball, Tilmon was a dominant force by the time Grade 8 rolled around. Basketball also opened doors for him to leave his hometown of East St. Louis, Ill., \u2014 a place that has historically boasted one of the highest crime rates in all the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up seeing stuff that the average kid is not supposed to see. But I ain\u2019t gonna sit here and give y\u2019all a sob story about how bad I grew up,\u201d said the 27-year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be a pro in high school. I was like, \u2018Man, I\u2019ve got to make it out.\u2019 I wanted to be an NBA player. This is what I wanted to do. I didn\u2019t want to be another statistic from East St. Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 6-10 centre went on to play at the University of Missouri where he was named second team All-SEC as a senior in 2021. The following year, he was up north with the Hamilton Honey Badgers, helping them win the 2022 CEBL championship. In two seasons in the Canadian summer league, Tilmon averaged 11.7 points, 6 rebounds and 1.25 blocks per contest while shooting 62.5 per cent from the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was my very first championship. That meant the most,\u201d said Tilmon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always knew what it felt like to be second place or third, but I ain\u2019t never saw no confetti come down or get a real ring and stuff like that. That was an amazing feeling. I still remember it like it was yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s played all over the world since then, with stops in China, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait and Romania throughout his six-year career. Most recently, he was with the NBA G League\u2019s Wisconsin Herd where he put up 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game.<\/p>\n
In addition to winning a CEBL title, Tilmon\u2019s biggest career accomplishment has been representing USA Basketball\u2019s men\u2019s World Cup qualifying team for the past two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was my NBA call up right there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care what anyone says. That was a dream come true, for real.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sea Bears have shown interest in Tilmon for quite some time. He finally signed the dotted line on Wednesday and will be in Winnipeg in a few days to gear up for the start of training camp on April 30.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s the team\u2019s third import signing, alongside star guards Xavier Moon and Teddy Allen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s going to work out so well. I know how to play with great players, I know how to play with bucket-getters. I know how to move when it\u2019s time to get out the way, and I know how to move when it\u2019s time to go catch that lob,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to work out because I already know their game. I\u2019ve played against both of them and I\u2019ve watched both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sea Bears open the season on the road against the Edmonton Stingers on May 9. Their home opener takes place May 16 at the Canada Life Centre against the visiting Saskatchewan Mamba.<\/p>\n
winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n
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Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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