BOSTON — The Boston Celtics are serving up a heaping helping of Tacko this season. How big? Seven feet and six inches.
His imposing height makes Tacko Fall a natural fit at center.
Fall inked a contract with Boston in July. The combination of his height and name brought him a lot of attention. Just when it seemed like fans were getting used to him, the arrival of National Taco Day on October 4 sparked a new wave on interest.
The Celtics leaned into the joke the a tweet that made Fall the face of the franchise's National Taco Day celebration. The tweet included a video in which several Celtics, including Fall describe, their favorite taco fillings.
The sense of humor he showed in that video has made him a favorite with fans even before he's played a single NBA game. Fall is in high demand for public appearances, especially with kids who marvel at his huge frame and giggle at his name.
Tacos are traditionally a Hispanic dish. But Fall traces his heritage in a different direction. Although he goes by Tacko, his first name is actually Elhadji and he comes from Dakar, Senegal. Fall turns 24 on October 10.
Fall played in college for the University of Central Florida. He averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over 115 games.
The Celtics offered Fall a slot on the team's summer league squad and were impressed enough to give him a contract. He's currently working to carve out his niche with the team in training camp ahead of the 2019-2020 season.