Is Boston Celtics two way center Tacko Fall the G League’s first star?

It might be time we start thinking about Boston Celtics two way center Tacko Fall and the G League differently.

Some people see Boston Celtics two way center Tacko Fall as a spectacle whose height at 7-foot-5 has overtaken the UCF product’s skill as a prospect working towards securing a full NBA contract in the G League.

And while there is truth to this perspective, it also detracts from Fall and the G League alike, both of whom have worked hard to professionalize in their own way.

To be clear, both Fall and the league have long been working in their own ambit, and those of us still using the historical contexts of player development should be forgiven for viewing players solely for their production on the court, and developmental leagues as a dead end for most.

There is a danger for the Senegalese big man to become cast off by fans if his growth does not come along or some other prospect steals the spotlight.

But Fall is no ordinary G-Leaguer, even discounting his prodigious height.

It’s worth recalling he’s long had a history of being exceptionally engaged in learning not just basketball itself, but much action taking place behind the scenes organizing and expanding the global reach of the sport, even becoming involved in efforts to grow basketball in Africa, especially his native Senegal.

He conducted the Boston Pops — and not as a joke. He did research, worked with the Celtics to fit a custom suit, and played the role to near-perfection.

He’s humble enough to dismiss a serious showing in the 2020 NBA All-Star voting, and self aware enough to know his unexpected celebrity as a two way player could, at times, be a burden on his team and coach.

A burden the openly welcomed, but the “WE WANT TACKO” chants, as charming as they could be at times, were undeniably a distraction.

Fall even appeared on “Sixty Minutes”, the classic hour-long news show.

Shedding light on shady recruiting practices the former Knight experienced himself, Fall hopes to change the game fundamentally at just the moment the NBA is teaming up with FIBA to launch the Basketball Africa League (BAL) — which Fall has also helped with.

This is not your usual G League prospect we’re talking about, at any height.

At the same time, the NBA’s developmental league has been expanding in conversation with several, interlocking strategies of the Association ranging from the Global Academies and BAL to expansion of the G League itself south to Mexico City.

Only a few teams still remain without their own G League affiliate team, and has become a full-fledged alternative to the NCAA and overseas routes with the creation of the “Professional Path” team.

That program will take elite high school and prep prospects on from around the world with significant paychecks, college scholarships and a number of other benefits not available elsewhere.

The G League is becoming an attraction in its own right on several levels — and quickly.

While we should be wary of how physically gifted players like Tacko Fall are treated by the media and their employers — and be wary of the soundness of the NBA’s world-spanning development plans — it’s probably equally as wise to give both more credit than we have to date.

Both Fall and the future of the G League (and player development for the NBA more generally) got to where they are from consistent, dedicated effort driven by inquiring, intelligent minds — not chance or being adjacent to success.

And while it’s good to ask what our motivations are for cheering for a player, or what our opinions about a business move by the NBA are rooted in, it’s not wrong to celebrate their successes, nor credit praise they deserve.

The Celtics have long been ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying competitive advantage early, and are among the most tightly-integrated with their G League team, the Maine Red Claws.

At the same time, the NBA has been building up to a truly monumental global expansion in terms of broadcasting footprint and talent development in recent years.

What better face to exemplify both than the G League’s first star, Tacko Fall?

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