Xaivian Lee
Canadian-American basketball player (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xaivian Lee (born March 12, 2004) is a Canadian-American college basketball player for the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He previously played for the Princeton Tigers. Standing at 6 feet, 4 inches, Lee plays the combo guard position.[1]
Lee with Princeton in 2023 | |
| No. 1 – Florida Gators | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 12, 2004 |
| Nationality | Canadian / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
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| College | |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Early life
Lee played both baseball and basketball in his youth and idolized Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.[2] When he was 13, he traveled to Buffalo, New York, to watch Princeton play Notre Dame in the 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In a 2023 interview with Sportsnet, his mother described the experience as crucial in his decision to pursue basketball: "What [could] be a possibility for him in the future became more tangible, being there, seeing that in person. I think it's a bit lovely how it came full circle."[2]
High school career
Lee initially attended Crescent School in Toronto, where he played basketball and was one of the best players in the CISAA.[2] He later attended Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.[3] In his lone prep year, he averaged 17.4 points and 4.7 assists in 35 games. He led his team to their first-ever state title appearance alongside Ryan Dunn , Luca Baratta, and Thomas Haugh. They qualified for the National Prep Tournament in the same year. Lee also played for CIA Bounce AAU on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit.[2]
The father of one of Lee's AAU teammates, former basketball player Cordell Llewellyn, contacted the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Princeton, Brett MacConnell, recommending that he take a look at Lee.[2] The Princeton staff later had the chance to see him play during a trip he made to the United States with his high school and AAU teams in between his junior and senior seasons.[2] "I remember texting Brett after the game and I was like, 'Oh my God. We need him right now,'" said Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson. "He had all the stuff — everything you see now was there: the way he would flow through the game and his ability to make things look simple and easy. The passing, the shooting, it was all there."[2]
College career
Princeton
As a freshman during the 2022–23 season, Lee made an immediate impact as a rotation player off the bench.[4][5] In his freshman season, he appeared in 32 games averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists, helping Princeton reach the Sweet Sixteen.[2][6][7] He began the following season averaging 19.5 points per game, leading Princeton to a 9–1 record through their first ten games, the school's best start in a century.[8] In the conference opener against Harvard, he scored a career-high 33 points, in addition to eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, being named conference player of the week for his performance.[9] On April 5, 2024, Lee declared for the 2024 NBA draft, while retaining his college eligibility.[10][11] On May 29, he withdrew from the draft and announced his return to Princeton for a third season. Lee finished his junior year averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.[12] He entered the transfer portal following the season.[13]
Florida
On April 16, 2025, Lee announced his decision to transfer to the University of Florida to play for the Florida Gators.[14] In his debut with the Gators, Lee tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a 93–87 loss against Arizona.[15] On February 14, 2026, against Kentucky, Lee scored 22 points and made three assists. He was named the SEC Player of the Week following his performance.[16]
National team career
Lee participated in the 2023 FIBA U-19 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, representing the Canada men's national under-19 basketball team. He averaged a team-high 14.1 points to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, helping lead Canada to a seventh-place finish.[17][18]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
Personal life
Lee was born in Toronto, Ontario, and holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. He is of South Korean descent and was first introduced to basketball at the age of seven.[19] Lee is the son of Eun-Kyung Lee and Daniel Bernstein.[20] He is a Christian.[21]
On June 1, 2025, Lee signed a deal with Serious Player Only for a multi-year brand sponsorship that includes a future signature shoe.[22]