Fan favorite Tacko Fall continues to hope he finds right fit
Tacko Fall dresses quickly after a Cleveland Charge game against the G League Ignite for a conversation with his agent, Justin Haynes.
Before he’s able to reach the bleacher seats, Fall is approached by autograph seekers, kids, adults, and employees at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center who want to get a picture with the 7-foot-6 center/celebrity/ insurance pitchman.
One fan instructs the photographer to turn the camera phone vertical to catch a full body shot of Fall, who is used to the attention. Fall is comfortable in his own skin.
But he also wants to prove he’s more than just a novelty or a sideshow, more than just a fan favorite because such a large man is attempting to compete with the world’s greatest athletes. Fall, who was on a two-way contract with the Celtics for two years, is playing with Cleveland’s G League affiliate, trying for another NBA opportunity.
“You want to be able to get the opportunity to show what you can do,” he told the Globe. “In my opinion, the G League is more fastpaced than the NBA and the biggest thing I’ve had to fight in my career is can I keep up with the best in the game at my size. Can you move? I’ve shown plenty of times that I can run the floor and move my feet. Keep showcasing and when I get the opportunity to play in more NBA games, keep showing that on a consistent basis.
“I actually believe I can play at this level and I know there’s a lot of people who believe that. It’s having the right opportunity at the right time.”
Fall has played in 37 NBA games (228 minutes), averaging 2.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocked shots. A summer league sensation in 2019 after going undrafted, Fall was signed to a two-way contract by the Celtics as a project.
Although he improved over two years, it was not enough to earn a standard NBA contract. The Celtics never felt comfortable playing Fall in long stretches, and he eventually joined the Cavaliers on a training camp contract, making the roster to begin this season.
Fall played in 11 games for Cleveland but was waived when the Cavaliers made deals to enhance the roster. He joined the Charge and has played in 12 games, averaging 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.7 blocked shots.