Tippett was born in Sydney, New South Wales but moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland at two months of age. Tippett attended All Saints Anglican College during his high school years. His first love was basketball and at the age of 11 made his representative debut for the Gold Coast. In 2004 he represented Queensland in the u18 Championships and was given a spot on the Brisbane Bullets development squad. While competing in the u18 Championships Tippett competed against the likes of Patrick Mills, Joe Ingles and future AFL player Scott Pendlebury. He also toured the United States with the Queensland Academy of Sport team.