Xaivian Lee

Xaivian Lee (born March 12, 2004) is a Canadian-American college basketball player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the Pac-12 Conference. He previously played for the Princeton Tigers and Florida Gators.

Early life Lee was born on March 12, 2004 in Toronto, Canada, the son of Eun-Kyung Lee and Daniel Bernstein. Lee played both baseball and basketball as a youth and he idolized NBA player Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors. 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." 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. 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. 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. 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. On April 5, 2024, Lee declared for the 2024 NBA draft, while retaining his college eligibility. 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. He entered the transfer portal following the season.

Florida On April 16, 2025, Lee announced his decision to transfer to the University of Florida to play for the Florida Gators. In his debut with the Gators, Lee tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a 93–87 loss against Arizona. 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. On May 4, 2026, it was announced that Lee was selected to participate in the 2026 NBA G League tryouts.

Gonzaga In August 2026, Lee was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA and as a result granted a fifth season of eligibility after filing a lawsuit in the state of California. He entered the NCAA transfer portal. That same month, he transferred to play at for his fifth season.

Professional career On June 24, 2026, Lee agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then joined the Cavaliers for the 2026 NBA Summer League. Following the conclusion of Summer League, Lee averaged 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 16 minutes of game time; he appeared in all five games.

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.

Career statistics

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. Lee is the son of Eun-Kyung Lee and Daniel Bernstein. He is a Christian.

On June 1, 2025, Lee signed a deal with Serious Player Only for a multi-year brand sponsorship that includes a future signature shoe.