Towering American centre Tacko Fall will make a cameo appearance for the NZ Breakers, during their three-game NBA swing next month.
At 2.26m (7ft 6in), Fall is believed to be the tallest player to ever pull on a Breakers singlet and comes with an established reputation as a fan favourite in the NBA, where he has played 37 games for the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Auckland club is scheduled to meet Utah Jazz (October 5), Philadelphia 76ers (October 8) and Oklahoma City Thunder (October 11) as part of the annual exhibition series between Australian NBL and NBA clubs.
"Tacko is a gamechanger on the defensive end and his experience in the NBA will be invaluable to us, as we prepare to take on the challenge of competing against some of the best teams in the world," said Breakers owner Matt Walsh.
Fall, 28, was born in Dakar, Senegal, and moved to the United States as a teenager, before attending University of Central Florida. During his stint with the Celtics fans around the league would chant his name, imploring the coach to sub him into the game.
Since his last contract with the Cavaliers in 2022, Fall has played with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Nanjing Monkey Kings in China, and Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rica.
"I'm excited to be part of this squad and to represent the Breakers," he said. "The opportunity to compete against NBA teams again is a great challenge and I’m looking forward to doing whatever I can to help the club."
The Breakers began their ANBL campaign with a 91-87 victory over the Brisbane Bullets last weekend.
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