Tacko Fall has had a busy summer.
The 7-foot-6 center signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Boston Celtics on July 26, meaning he’ll have the opportunity to compete for the 15th and final roster spot at training camp. But before he attempts to make Boston’s opening night roster, Fall got a chance to head back home for the first time in seven years and work out with one of the Eastern Conference’s best big men.
Fall traveled to Senegal as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Program and worked with African players ahead of the start of the Basketball Africa League in March 2020. Trainer Drew Hanlen took the trip as well, which allowed Fall to workout with fellow center Joel Embiid, according to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
“That was really awesome, too,” Fall said, per Himmelsbach. “We worked on pretty much a lot of work on the post, and every now and then he would stop and try to show me some things and try to tell me about the game in the NBA. … So I thought that was pretty cool, especially coming from him one of the best, if not the best center in the NBA right now.”
Fall also met another dominant big man in Dikembe Mutombo while overseas. The Hall of Famer had given the UCF product advice before, but the two had never met in person until this week.
He’s previously stated that he knows he has a lot of work to do, but Fall says he knows he belongs in the NBA.
“I know that I belong and I’ve tried to prove it since college,” Fall said. “I really feel like through the help of God I’ve put myself in a good position to keep proving that I can play in the NBA and have a really good career.”
