Tag: Tacko Fall

On this day: Big man Tacko Fall born; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes for 55 vs. Boston

On this day, Boston Celtic big man Tacko Fall was born, and legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hung 55 points on the Celtics.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former two way big man Elhadji Tacko Sereigne Diop Fall — better known to his fans as just “Tacko” — was born in Dakar, Senegal.

Falls path to the NBA was a fraught one involving shady handlers nearly costing him his visa. After some rough going early on in his career as a potential NBA prospect, the Senegalese center would land at Liberty Christian Preparatory School in Tavares, Florida. From there, he would accept an offer to attend the University of Central Florida in nearby Orlando to play at the NCAA level.

At UCF, he would earn American Athletic Conference (AAC) Defensive Player of the Year (2017) and AAC Third Team (2019) honors.

Tacko Fall put a much shorter man through the earth’s crust with vicious dunk

What’s the opposite of a business decision?

Unless you watch a lot of NBA Summer League, Tacko Fall is probably a name you haven’t heard in a while. There’s a good reason that’s changing today.

In a highlight making the rounds on social media, from what appears to be one of Fall’s most recent games in the Chinese Basketball Association, a man much shorter than Fall tried to contest a dunk by Fall. And, well, you can say Tacko wasn’t the only fall in that game.

This man took a massive L.

This is what happens when you make the unwise decision to jump with someone listed as 7-foot-6. I’m not even exactly sure what the defender was expecting to accomplish there.

On this day: Brown, Poirier, Fall, Vincent debut; Gavitt, Dickey born; Mangurian passes; Cousy, Macauley jerseys retired

On this day, a number of Celtics debuted, former owner Harry Mangurian passed away, and Dave Gavitt was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, All-Star forward Jaylen Brown played his first game for the team in 2016, fittingly a 122-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the team who had dealt Boston the draft pick that would be used to select him.

The former Cal-Berkeley standout put up 9 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and two blocks, with one turnover and two fouls in 19 minutes and 27 seconds of floor time for his debut performance with the Celtics. He shot 3-of-4 from the free-throw line and hit three of his four field goal attempts as well.

Perhaps surprisingly, Brown did not attempt a 3-point shot in his inaugural game in the association.

Who are the best international players to play for the Boston Celtics?

From Charlie Hoefer to Alaa Abdenaby to Rick Fox to Kristaps Porzingis, there has been no shortage of players who were born abroad who have worn the green and white.

The Boston Celtics are a storied franchise for more than just their titles. They have been a trailblazing team in terms of signing and fielding players from all over the world, a philosophy that started in their first season.

From Charlie Hoefer to Alaa Abdelnaby to Rick Fox to Kristaps Porzingis, there has been no shortage of players born abroad who have worn the green and white.

But who were the best and who were the worst? What criteria should we use to judge them across eras? In the spirit of the annual arrival of #RankingSeason, the thing to do is try.

And try the hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” did on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear how they assessed the international Celtics of all time.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Former Celtic Tacko Fall on making the leap from Senegal to the States

Fall recently made a guest appearance on fellow Boston alum Jeff Teague’s “Club 520” podcast, talking about his first impressions of the United States.

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Fan-favorite Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall’s journey to the U.S. and the NBA is a riveting tale. The Senegalese center nearly had his basketball career end before it started thanks to unscrupulous handlers.

Fall recently made a guest appearance on Jeff Teague’s “Club 520” podcast. He talked about his first impressions of the United States at the age of 16, noting the size and scale of everything from the cars to the sports to the expectations some had for him on the basketball court. He reflects on his initial struggles and homesickness but highlights how his move to Florida for high school marked a turning point in his basketball development.

To hear about his time on the AAU circuit and how he eventually committed to playing college basketball for the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the lead-up to joining the Celtics after going undrafted, check out the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics alum Tacko Fall sits down with Shams Charania to talk CBA, Wembanyama and more

The former Boston big man opened up about his time playing in China, life as a 7-footer, and lots more.

Former Boston Celtics two way big man Tacko Fall recently sat down with Stadium’s Shams Charania to discuss what his experience playing basketball in China’s CBA is like and how it transformed him as a player and person.

The Senegalese center reflected on the challenges of adapting to a new country during the pandemic, the immense popularity of basketball in China, and his role as a leader on the court. Fall also detailed his efforts to improve his shooting, particularly from the free-throw line, and shares his thoughts on fellow seven-foot player Victor Wembanyama.

The UCF alum talks about his own physical stature and how it relates to his interactions with others and touches on his new role as a father and his hopes for his daughter’s future.

To hear more about what the Boston alum has been up to and what his future holds, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Shams: Former Celtic Tacko Fall headed back to CBA with Nanjing Monkey Kings

Fall is headed back to the CBA after trying to get back to the NBA this offseason.

Per the Athletic’s Shams Charania, former Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall is poised to return to the Chinese Basketball Association after an offseason trying unsuccessfully to get back into the NBA.

Fall, who played in China during the 2022-23 season, has signed a deal with the Nanjing Monkey Kings. He previously played in the CBA for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers on a one-year contract.

After a solid college career at the University of Central Florida, Fall went unselected in the 2019 NBA draft but signed with the Celtics as a two-way player after a strong showing that offseason in the club’s training camp.

The Senegalese center spent a pair of seasons with Boston as before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in a similar role for the 2021-22 season.

From there, he joined the CBA with Xinjiang, where he has carved out a niche for himself in the league he has yet to at the NBA level.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 99

This is every player in Boston’s history who wore the Celtics’ No. 99 jersey for at least one game as of August 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history tied to them. In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, the unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league.

To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on No. 99 over the years as of August 2023.

Tacko Fall is gunning for another shot at the NBA in Las Vegas Summer League

The Boston fan favorite is suiting up for the summer Milwaukee Bucks in Sin City.

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Tacko Fall may no longer be a part of the Boston Celtics organization, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with basketball. In fact, the 27-year-old big man is participating in the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“When you know what you’re capable of, you’ve just got to keep going until you hit it, and that’s pretty much what I’m doing right now,” the Senegalese center told Heavy’s Steve Bulpett. After leaving Boston and playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a two-way player before a stint with China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Fall is taking another stab at making an NBA roster.

“It’s always a good experience for growth,” he explained of his time in the Chinese Basketball Association. “I think last year I took full advantage of it and I grew a lot, and that’s why I came back to try to showcase my growth this year.”

The former Celtic isn’t picky about which franchise he ends up with should he find success in Las Vegas. With some of his most formative years spent donning the green and white, “Boston will always be my home,” according to the onetime UCFst standout.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Did former Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall end up out of the NBA due to a lack of opportunity?

Other players like Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith also saw their careers at the NBA level fizzle a bit while playing with the Celtics due to a lack of playing time to develop on a squad with designs on contending.

Did former Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall end up out of the NBA due to a lack of opportunity? Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith also saw their NBA careers fizzle while playing with the Celtics due to a lack of playing time on a squad with designs on contending.

Could it be such a simple answer to explain why the league’s tallest big man ended up playing in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers? Or could there be more going on to explain why Tacko’s tenure didn’t take?

The folks over at the Treese YouTube Channel took their best shot at getting to the bottom of this question on a clip they put together.

Take a look at the video embedded above to hear what conclusions they came to about why Fall is not in the NBA right now.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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