2019 has been a memorable year for Tacko Fall.
After going undrafted, the 7'5" center signed with the Celtics. He made enough of an impression in the summer league and with the Maine Red Claws for fans in Boston to clamor for "Tacko Time." And now, just three games into his NBA career, he's a conductor for the Boston Pops.
Fall, 24, made his debut Monday at Boston Symphony Hall during the Holiday Pops concert, leading the group as it performed "Sleigh Ride."
Before stepping into the spotlight, he had to get some lessons from conductor Keith Lockhart.
"At first, I was like, 'Do I have to do specific movements?'" Fall recalled. "They're like, 'As soon as you start, you can do whatever you want.'"
Finding a tuxedo for a man as tall as Fall was a challenge.
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"It has to be custom," he said.
Fall, a native of Senegal, has spent the year bouncing between Boston and the G-League affiliate in Portland, Maine.
He has continued to grow off the court, from learning how to swim to learning how to live through his first New England winter.
Asked which was harder, he said, "Learning how to deal with the cold, most definitely. And driving in the snow."
