Tacko Fall is grateful for the opportunity to play in the NBA with the Celtics, and it’s a chance he’s not taking for granted.
The Boston big man had three blocks, four points and eight rebounds in 19:10 minutes on the court in his team’s 116-107 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
It was the first time Fall ever had played in the first quarter, and his presence certainly was felt on both sides of the ball in the absences of Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams.
Fall garnered high praise from head coach Brad Stevens and rookie Payton Pritchard. And after the game, Fall revealed just how thankful he is to be wearing the green and white uniform.
“To have people that have believed in you from the first day that they met you, the whole organization has,” Fall said on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “From my teammates, to the coaches, to the front office, to the workers, everybody. They all believed in what I could do and how I can help them. They stayed patient with me, and that’s something that I’m really thankful for. I’m a big believer that nothing happens out of coincidence. I feel like it was God who put me here and He put me with the right people. I’m in the right hands and they have constantly pushed me to become a better player and I’m really thankful for it.”
Boston will need Fall to mirror what he did Friday for at least a week, as Thompson and the two Williams remain quarantined under the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
