If towering Senegalese centre Tacko Fall ends up on a plane back to New Zealand with his new NZ Breakers teammates, he will have at least one familiar face awaiting him in the Australian NBL.
Fall, 28, has joined the Auckland-based club for its three-game NBA swing, beginning Saturday against Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
At 2.29m (7ft 6in), he already has a cult following in the American league, after stints with Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, but after recent contracts in China, he's looking forward to the prospect of relaunching his career with the Breakers, whether that means showcasing his skills over the next two weeks or taking up a fulltime opportunity in the NBL.
"Jayson, a good friend of mine, his dad is a coach in the NBL," said Fall. "I actually saw him in Boston, when they won the championship, but I didn't know I was going to play in Australia, so it was a pleasant surprise and I'm looking forward to seeing him eventually."
Good friend Jayson would be Jayson Tatum, Celtics and Team USA superstar, whose father Justin coaches Illawarra Hawks in the Aussie competition.
"I've heard good things about the NBL and how professional the league is and the level of competition. For me, it's something I'm really excited about."
Fall speaks as if the deal is done, but to join the Breakers on a fulltime basis, he would have to replace one of the three existing imports on the roster, most likely American centre Freddie Gillespie, who was suspended from their season opener for a headbutt and managed only five points, four rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes of their 81-79 win over South East Melbourne Phoenix.
"It's good to meet everybody and get with the team," said Fall. "They've already started and are getting into the groove of things, so it's good to practice with them, I enjoyed it.
"My agent is a good friend with the team owner [Matt Walsh] and they've been talking about it for a while. I've been in Chicago, training and mostly rehabbing, and for me, it's an opportunity to play in a good league and high level, and show how much I've improved."
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