It’s not often you see Boston Celtics two way center get dunked on.
But the Senegalese big man made a splash at the NBA Dunk Contest as Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon jumped over the 7-foot-5 center Saturday evening, the UCF product once again in the spotlight at an event that actually made him nervous.
Fall had been worried there was a chance he could end up voted in to the weekend’s main event, the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, which Fall was already planning on attending in order to help coach the annual Basketball Without Borders (BWB) camp.
Fall never rose higher in the fan vote than sixth, but it was enough to rattle him nonetheless.
“I was actually scared,” related the former Knight (via the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett).
“I was praying for me not to be in the All-Star Game. I mean, it’s all fun and games and I was very appreciative of it, but at the same time there’s so many people that deserve to be there. Especially right now, there’s some people that deserve to be there that are not there. So just imagine if I was voted into the All-Star Game. I would not have felt good about that.”
“Hopefully someday I will work hard enough to make it just not through the fan vote,” he added in his usual diligent way.
Fall was not part of the original plan for Gordon’s dunk. He ended up roped into the event after Gordon couldn’t convince former Celtic big man Shaquille O’Neal to be the dunkee.
The gregorious big man accepted-
“I wanted to jump over Shaq. He didn’t want to do it,” explained Gordon. “It was really for the people. Everybody was like ‘Tacko! Tacko!’ I was like, cool, man, let’s do it. The tallest dude in the gym. Jumping over somebody that’s 7-5.”
It went relatively smoothly, though the momentary onslaught of Gordon’s nether regions to the top of Fall’s dome made the big man more than a little concerned for his well-being.
WATCH: Aaron Gordon dunks over Tacko Fall in Dunk Contest https://t.co/c31yN1pNRG
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 16, 2020
And it wasn’t even the only time this weekend the Conakry native was dunked on — he let the prospects at the BWB camp dunk on him repeatedly.
“It’s the most I’ve been dunked on in my career. But, I mean, in a few years, hopefully a lot of them will make it to the NBA, and then we’ll see how it really is,” offered Fall.
The big man looks at such opportunities as part of his own debt for having made it to the league, and willingly embraces the chance to pay forward some of what helped transform his own life.
“Being here means a lot to me, especially doing this camp last summer back home in Senegal. When they told me they had another camp here, I didn’t hesitate. I said I wanted to be a part of it and just help the youth, especially back home in Africa, and guide them and just teach them whatever I’ve learned so far in my career.”
“Absolutely it is my responsibility,” added Fall.
“Especially where I came from, my journey so far and some other people back home that are looking up to us. It’s our duty to pave the way for them, to guide them. For me, it’s a great way to do it.”
While many are distracted by the sheer spectacle of Fall’s size, the big man keeps grinding in the shadows.
Hard work behind the scenes has long been the Senegalese center’s modus operandi — and to bring not just himself, but those who come after as well, to have a chance at greatness based in more than superficial qualities.
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