Why Tacko Fall Is Banned From The NBA
Tacko Fall is still really good, but the NBA is done with him. ✅ Check out PrizePicks: https://bit.ly/PrizePicksMJ2K Promo Code: MJ2K
Twitter- @MJ2KALLDAY
#tallest #nba
He measured at 7’ 7” with shoes in the draft combine, was the tallest NBA player, an inch taller than Boban. He’s got an 8'2.25" wingspan, and a 10'2.5" standing reach. The guy can dunk without jumping. Let me say this again. HE CAN DUNK a 10 ft hoop without jumping. He was blocking the heck out of Zion in college.
So why is he out playing in China? **What happened to Tacko Fall and can he come back?**
Unlike most other NBA players who started off playing at a young age, Tacko started playing basketball when he was 15 in Senegal and bro was 7’3 but couldn’t dunk. He couldn’t run across the court two times without being out of breath. He moved to the US at 16 and looked like a giant. Man was different in high school. He was a 4 star and 3 star recruit and 40 different colleges express interest with him. He ended up going to University of Central Florida, now 7’ 6” 270 pounds, and worked on his game. In his second year, he became the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year averaging 2.6 blocks. Throughout his 4 years at college he shot 74% from the field. No one was stopping him.
This game was neck and neck despite duke being the overwhelming favorite. Everybody saw this giant dominate, scoring easy buckets and blocking shots, especially Zion’s. Although Duke won by 3, Tacko finished with 15, 6, and 3 blocks and was given props for keeping UCF in it.
He declared for the 2019 draft, but despite his strong college showing, there were glaring weaknesses. He was painfully slow and unable to shoot, a no no in the modern era. Still he had no injuries so that’s a plus. He went to the NBA Draft Combine and broke records for standing reach. **Bro out here out reaching Yao Ming.**
Tacko’s path to the NBA was anything but easy. The Celtics thought they would take a chance and signed him to an exhibit 10, contract for players to stick with the team even though they aren’t expected to make the regular season roster, meaning if he proved himself, he could be upgraded to a two way, still not even a normal NBA player.
The summer league is where Tacko went viral cause he dunked and held the rim with his feet on the ground! He was getting louder cheers than Zion.
All the fans loved him and would chant TACKO, TACKO in the 4th quarter. Back when Enes Kanter was on the Celtics, he’d say Tacko had the nicest personality on the team and people would naturally just gravitate to him.
In the G-League he averaged 12.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks on 70% from the field in 24 minutes a game. Pretty dominant in limited minutes. He only played 7 NBA games in his first season and resigned with the Celtics under the same contract for the 2020-2021 season but his second season was a little bit unfortunate though. He was quicker, better in defending pick and roles, but the Celtics G League team shutdown due to COVID and his main source of playing time was cut off. Tacko didn’t get enough reps in, and once again barely played with the Celtics, this time playing 19 games and 7 minutes a game. The Celtics were a playoff team that had an all switch defense. Changing the entire scheme so Tacko could play was not something Brad Stevens was about to do even if Tacko was averaging 1.1 blocks in 7 minutes.
Tacko became a free agent, the Celtics didn’t resign him, and on September 27th of 2021, Tacko signed a two way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers who gave him some more opportunities. He even started in a game versus the Celtics, playing 19 minutes, having 4 points and 10 rebounds.
And so he took his talents overseas to China in August 2022 in a move that quietly went under the radar. As quiet as it can be for Tacko. I mean a video on him winning a tip off has nearly 1 million views so yeah I’ll call this quiet.
**But Tacko Falls has been dominating like Shaq in the CBA.** And I mean literally. He’s out here running fast breaks, bullying players, but he’s only playing 25 minutes a game averaging 14 points, 10 boards, 3 blocks on 74% from the field. He looks way taller and bigger than any of the other centers in that league.
**But why didn’t any NBA team give him a chance?** Or lemme rephrase that, more of a chance than 19 garbage minute games in a season. Why didn’t they keep him around in the league and just see where he goes? Tacko has continued to improve year after year, to the point that even in pre game routines, he was hitting step backs. What boggles my mind the most about Tacko is the fact that he hasn’t really dealt with foot injuries like most 7’ 3” and above players have. Knock on wood. At 311 pounds Tacko would be the heaviest player in the NBA right now, there’s very few that could even stay with him inside.