Tacko Fall has become an icon very quickly during his time with the Boston Celtics. After a very good performance at the Las Vegas Summer League, Fall has carried over the hype into his preseason.
In the first preseason game, the crowd peppered the Celtics bench with chants of "we want Tacko." Fall would eventually come into the game in the fourth quarter, and he played most of that period, logging 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 8 minutes of action.
While Fall has become a fan favorite, he has had mixed emotions about the cheers he has received. He called them "very motivating" but also expressed that he doesn't want to take away too much attention from other aspects of the team.
"It’s very motivating, but at the same time, it does make you feel a little uncomfortable sometimes because I don’t want to take away too much attention from what’s really important," Fall said in an interview with Celtics.com’s Amanda Pflugrad. "Sometimes I do feel bad for coach Brad. But at the same time, it’s a blessing and I’m really thankful that I have so many people cheering me on and rooting for me to be successful."
This just speaks to how humble Fall is, and how much he really does appreciate the fan support.
But at the same time, does being a fan favorite add extra pressure to Fall as he battles for a roster spot? Not really, according to Fall.
"No, I mean I just have to stick to what I’ve been doing so far," Fall said. "I know what my job is and regardless of -- I don’t really see it as pressure. If anything, it just pumps me up a little bit more."
Boston Celtics
Fall should be plenty pumped up playing in front of what figures to be a very pro-Tacko crowd in the second preseason game. Fall played collegiately and has lived in Central Florida since coming to to the United States from Senegal. Ahead of the contest, Fall was particularly hoping to find a way to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
"I know that I can [make a defensive impact] right away and just be patient," Fall said. "I've worked on my game a lot this summer. I've gotten a lot better, so it's just a matter of sticking to what I do best."
The Celtics take on the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. The action can be seen on NBC Sports Boston or streamed via the MyTeams App.
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