Former Boston Celtics fan favorite Tacko Fall signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers over the offseason, but he was quickly injured and on Monday, one day before the Sixers’ season opener, Fall got more bad news.
Philly coach Nick Nurse held Fall out of practice Monday with his ongoing left hip strain, jeopardizing the backup center’s status for Tuesday’s opener against the New York Knicks.
The injury has lingered since the second day of training camp, and the 76ers, already thin at center, still have no updated timeline for the 7-foot-6 big man’s return.
Nurse confirmed that Fall, Dean Wade (ankle) and Dominick Barlow (back) sat out Monday while the rest of the team practiced, according to PhillyVoice. Fall was limited to individual work Sunday.
Fall left practice early on the second day of camp due to a “hip thing,” Nurse said, as quoted by The Sixer Sense. An MRI then revealed a left hip strain, and the 76ers announced Oct. 1 that he would miss at least two weeks, according to NBC Sports.
Fall missed the entire preseason. The two-week window has closed without an updated timeline, and he remains in jeopardy of missing the opener, according to RotoWire, though his absence would not significantly alter the 76ers’ rotation.
Tacko Fall’s Boston Celtics Fan-Favorite Run
Born Dec. 10, 1995, in Dakar, Senegal, Fall moved to the United States at 16 and played four seasons at Central Florida. He went undrafted in 2019, then agreed to join the Boston Celtics after a Summer League run, according to United Press International.
Summer League crowds roared each time he checked in. He ranked sixth in early 2020 All-Star fan voting, guest-conducted the Boston Pops and averaged 12.9 points and 11.1 rebounds in 29 games for the Maine Red Claws, according to Forbes.
Fans chanted “We want Tacko!” during the 2019 preseason opener and again in a December game against the Detroit Pistons, according to an account by The Ringer. “Give the people what they want,” coach Brad Stevens said his 10-year-old daughter advised, as quoted by The Ringer.
Fall appeared in 26 NBA games over two Boston seasons before stops in Cleveland, China and New Zealand, according to Basketball Network.
At 7-foot-6, Fall ties Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming for third among the tallest players in NBA history, behind Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan at 7-foot-7, according to Sports Illustrated.
Philadelphia 76ers Plans for Tacko Fall After Hip Strain
The 76ers signed Fall to an Exhibit 10 training-camp contract Sept. 1, according to Bleacher Report. “It is an opportunity of a lifetime that I shall not waste,” Fall said, as quoted by Basketball Network.
Philadelphia converted Fall to a two-way contract Oct. 17 after center Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, according to Sports Illustrated. SI also reported that Fall will split time with the Delaware Blue Coats, and that at 7-foot-6 he is the league’s tallest active player, ahead of Victor Wembanyama and Zach Edey at 7-foot-4.
Once healthy, Fall provides depth behind Joel Embiid at a position short on bodies. Adem Bona (foot) and Dominick Barlow (back) also have missed time.
Ex-Celtics 7-Foot-6 Fan Favorite Dealt Tough News One Day Before NBA Opener