For a player who did not ever establish himself as a full-time member of the rotation at any point during his Boston Celtics tenure, nearly every Celtics fan would recognize Tacko Fall. The 7'6" center has long been gone from the Celtics, however, and has now signed with a new team to continue his career.
The towering Senegalese big man went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, hardly a surprise given his limitations defending in space and an entirely dependent offensive game. He had size, to be sure, but even a standing reach over 10 feet couldn't make him a good fit in the modern NBA.
Boston gave Fall a shot, however, signing him to a contract and playing him in 26 games across two seasons. He unsurprisingly reboudned like a madman, and he was hyper-efficient as a play finisher. His per-36 averages in Boston: 14.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, 5.1 blocks and 6.2 fouls.
Perhaps his biggest moment in the spotlight was in the 2020 playoffs in the NBA Bubble at Disney World. The Celtics were clinging to a lead over the Toronto Raptors, and a win would all-but seal the series and put them up 3-0. They inserted Fall to defend the inbounder on Toronto's final shot. It forced star guard Kyle Lowry to loft the pass insanely high across the entire court to OG Anunoby -- but it worked, Jaylen Brown was too far away, and Anunoby hit the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the game. It was an all-time shot.
Unfortunately, things did not get better in the NBA for Tacko Fall. He spent a year in Cleveland with the Cavaliers before his NBA dream expired and he headed overseas to continue his career.
Tacko Fall has signed with a new team
The bruising play of the EuroLeague would likely not be a fit for Fall, but he landed out on the Pacific Ocean instead. He played multiple years in China for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Nanjing Monkey Kings (both excellent team names, to be sure) before joining the New Zealand Breakers and playing in Australia's NBL.
The NBL is a high-level league, and Fall had perhaps the best stretch of professional basketball he has ever played. In 18 appearances, Tacko put up 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
This summer the Breakers moved on, and Fall was a free agent. He made his way back to China, joining the Ningbo Rockets and another former NBA player in former Michigan star Zavier Simpson. Last season the tallest player on the team was the 6'11" Nick Rakocevic, a former player at USC who never caught on in the NBA. Now it's the 7'6" Fall.
Tacko Fall was a fan favorite during his time in Boston, but he isn't built to be an NBA player in the modern NBA. He deserves credit, however, for continuing to improve his game and continue his career. That career now takes him back to China for the latest stop on his international tour.