Boston Celtics rookie two way center Tacko Fall might be a bit of a raw player right now, but with some polish, has a bright future ahead of him.
The 7-foot-5 fan favorite has been spending most of his time with Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, while he gets up to speed on his game.
At least, when healthy.
Unable to fully participate in practice while he nurses a knee contusion sustained in late November, the Senegalese big man instead made use of his time connecting with a favorite ex-Celtic, legendary Boston center Kevin Garnett.
The Big Ticket was in town to promote a new film — Uncut Gems — in which he plays himself alongside comedian Adam Sandler in a darker film centered around compulsive sports gambling.
Fall, upon realizing the 15-time All-Star would be visiting the area in support of the film, had to go.
Tacko Fall gets his wish and gets to meet Kevin Garnett https://t.co/wTVEeeME6C
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 10, 2019
“I definitely have to go see the movie and try to talk to KG,” said the UCF product (via the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach), who exchanged a few words and contact information with the renowned Boston big man.
“I like everything about him … I love his competitiveness,” continued Fall.
“He’s one of the greatest to play this game, and he’s a Celtics legend … Personally I feel like there’s a lot I can learn from him, from his mind, how he approached the game, his competitiveness and everything. I’m going to try to learn as much as possible from him whenever I can.”
Garnett encouraged the former Golden Knight to keep at his training, and to stay in touch.
The prospect of Boston’s favorite center from its last title era helping the team’s big man of the future grow his game has to be exciting for even those too young to recall KG’s skill and intensity.
Fall has long wanted to get in touch with Garnett, and has made a habit of seeking council from great frontcourt players whenever possible.
New: Tacko Fall returned to Senegal for the first time in 7 years. He's been helping teach basketball at an NBA camp, but has also been soaking up guidance from Joel Embiid & Dikembe Mutombo. Fall and Embiid worked out together for the 1st time Wednesday: https://t.co/SeXuuVysDh
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 31, 2019
He has picked up pointers from Hall-of-Famers like Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, spent time working with Houston Rockets luminary Hakeem Olajuwon in high school, and even spent time at the NBA Academy with shot-blocking master Dikembe Mutombo in Africa.
“He’s like an uncle and I’m like his nephew,” Fall said in an interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. ”
“He gives me advice, and he talked to me a lot about life in the NBA, especially as a player from Africa, like how you need to behave and carry yourself throughout the NBA. And he told me things about diet and workouts.”
The towering big man was ebullient about his opportunity to get to know Garnett, and perhaps one day learn from the future Hall-of-Famer.
“We have so many great players who have been here and accomplished a lot, so we can learn from them and try to do the same thing someday,” Fall said. “For me, KG is one of those players. He’s one of my favorite players, so it really meant a lot to meet him.”
While the two way player has a mountain to climb to even earnestly deserve mention next to the likes of Garnett, he’s a mountain of a man, in effort as much as height.
And while his game is still rough around the edges, just reaching out to so many legendary big men with an eye to improving his game shows just how hard Fall will work to realize his potential.
You might even call him an “uncut gem”.