Kim Tillie: It's in his genes!
It was karma for Kim Tillie to get involved with basketball. With sports in general, it was just in his genes! Read the interview of the French forward on olympiacosbc.gr
His father, Lauran, was a professional volleyball player and now is the coach of the National team of France. His mother, Carolyn, was the captain of the National Dutch team. However, their first born changed direction. No, it was not a rebellion against his parents' wishes. It just happened that he took to the orange ball!
"I did not actually choose basketball. When I was young, from the age of six till ten, I was playing football. However, I was 1.80 m. at ten, so I was too tall to continue playing with the other kids. My parents wanted me to take up volleyball, but when we changed cities, there was no volleyball team there, so they introduced me to basketball and I never stopped playing ever since" where his first comments to www.olympiacosbc.gr
As for the other two boys of the Tillie family, only one of them took up volleyball. "I have two younger brothers. Kevin is 24 and plays professional volleyball and Killian is 19 and plays basketball at Gonzaga University. He actually got very close to winning the title but did not make it. I hope that one day I can be on the same team with the youngster, but I'm afraid I'm going to be too old by that time! Anyway, he's very good and I think he will also get to play on a professional basis".
The Olympiacos forward did not become a volleyball player; however, he did not mess up with the tradition that wants all the Tillies get a university degree… At a young age he made the transatlantic journey chasing after the dream and studies! "After high school, at 18, I moved to the US to continue playing basketball on a high level and study at the same time. I wasn't ready to play on a professional level at the time. I wanted to improve and going to the university was a great way to improve your body, your game and get to study at the same time. I studied urban planning, it's something like architectural design. I got my degree and maybe I will take advantage of it after finishing with basketball. I think it's going to come in handy and in general, it's an area that interests me a lot".
Looking back, Tillie's decision turned out to be the right one since… "After college, I returned to France, where I played with Villeurbanne in the first division. It was my first professional contract and I've been trying to improve ever since, that's why each time I'm changing teams, I join a better one. I think I'm doing a step up in my career each time I get to sign with another team".
Apart from the degree and his professional career as a basketball player, Kim Tillie has gained one more thing from residing in different countries. He's fluent in four languages! "I speak French, Dutch, since my mother is from the Netherlands, English and Spanish due to my stay in Spain". Asked on whether he plans to learn Greek as well, he answered "Yes! I'm learning right now. I have bought an audio book and I listen to it every day while driving. I listen to at least one hour of Greek every day since it takes me about half an hour to come from home to the gym and another half hour to get back". He has already begun to understand the language, while, despite being in our country only for a short while, he's able to make full sentences, an indication that languages come easy to him… "I had always been a good student. I'm learning every day. I think that by the end of the season I'm going to be there!".
Having mastered the Greek language by the end of the season, is obviously not his only goal, nor the most essential one… "My biggest dream is to win the Euroleague and I hope, wish and I will definitely try to do that as an Olympiacos player. We'll do all we can to make it. We'll try our best and hope we make it. No one ever knows what the day will bring, but if you ask me what my dream is, then yes, this it", he said and continued: "Olympiacos is the greatest team that I have ever played in my career. It's a big step for me. It's one of the best teams in Europe and I'm really excited to be part of this family. This gives me the motivation to work even harder and give everything for Olympiacos to win. Everything is as I had imagined. Perfect… The practice sessions are of high level, the organization is very good, from the equipment manager to the physios, the trainers… Everything is very well organized. We don't miss anything".
Actually, he's pretty well organized himself, since in the last days he's been doing all he can to prepare everything to be ready for his family to come to Greece. "My wife is an American and we have a 20 month old son. I'm very happy to have them with me. They'll be coming to Athens for permanent residency, together with our cat! I'm running so as to have everything ready. I hope I haven't forgotten to buy something…" Kim Tillie is crazy about his son and does not hide it. However, he's not making plans for his son's future. Anyway, whether he's going to follow on his dad's basketball track needs a lot of debating… "if it's in his genes, he will become a good athlete. I don't know what he's going to choose. He's free to do anything he wants on my part. Maybe I can help him with basketball. On the other hand, my wife had been a soft ball player, his grand dad was a volleyball player, the same with his grand mom … So, we'll see. Maybe he gets to play baseball and make more money. However, if he becomes 2.10 m. tall, then basketball will be his best choice…"