BIO: Tacko Fall was born in Dakar, Senegal.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Tacko Fall made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 28 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

New Zealand entered the off-season after finishing sixth with a 13-15 record, defeating Sydney 83-76 in the first play-in game before an 88-85 loss to Illawarra ended its season. Anthony Lamb (to Trento), William McDowell-White (to Berlin), Izayah Le’Afa (to Sydney), Justinian Jessup (to Ulm), Finn Delany (to Shizuoka), Mantas Rubstavicius (to Panevezys), Zylan Cheatham (to Nagoya), Mangok Mathiang (to Ningbo), Dan Fotu and Dom Kelman-Poto exited the team, while Thomas Abercrombie and Cameron Gliddon retired. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Max Darling, Dane Pineau, Carlin Davison and Alex McNaught returned.

Head coach Mody Maor (to Nagasaki) was replaced by Petteri Koponen (via Helsinki), who added Matt Mooney (via Trento), Sam Mennenga (via Cairns), Mojave King (via Indiana), Mitch McCarron (via Adelaide), Jonah Bolden (via Sydney), Sean Bairstow (via Richmond), Grant Anticevich (via Gottingen), Freddie Gillespie (via Belgrade), Karim Lopez (via Badalona) and Kaia Isaac (via Canterbury).

Tacko Fall initially joined New Zealand for its three-game NBLxNBA tour against Utah, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, but a quad injury prevented him from taking the court. The former Boston and Cleveland centre returned to New Zealand with the team and remained around the group as a practice player while completing his rehabilitation.

The Breakers opened the regular season 7-3 and entered the FIBA break sitting second on the ladder, before Gillespie (6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 9 games) requested his release (to Milan). The 229-centimetre centre was signed as his replacement through the end of the 2025/26 season, becoming the tallest player to appear in NBL history. “I’m honoured to have the opportunity to play for the Breakers. New Zealand has a great basketball culture, and the fans here are incredible. I’m ready to give my all for this team,” he said.

Tacko (4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 blocks) made his NBL debut against Illawarra on November 28, recording three blocks during his first three minutes and finishing with five in only 14 minutes. Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and King (11 points and 2 rebounds) led New Zealand, while Lachlan Olbrich (21 points and 3 rebounds), Trey Kell III (17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (13 points) led the Hawks to a 109-71 win.

Fall (11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 18 games) made 11 starts and became New Zealand’s primary interior scorer and rim protector, shooting efficiently around the basket while providing a unique defensive presence at the other end.

Three days after his debut, Fall (7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block) made all three of his field-goal attempts but was restricted to just over five minutes by a knee injury during New Zealand’s 123-112 loss in Perth. Jackson-Cartwright (34 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Mennenga (25 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) led the Breakers, while Bryce Cotton (59 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block) produced the highest-scoring NBL performance in nearly 30 years. The injury ruled Fall out of the following game against Melbourne before he returned against Sydney with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block in 13 minutes.

Fall (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block) made all six of his field-goal attempts against Tasmania on December 12, but Jordon Crawford (24 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Sean Macdonald (17 points) led the JackJumpers to a 100-76 win as New Zealand’s losing streak reached five games.

The Breakers lost their first eight games following the FIBA break, while Jackson-Cartwright received a five-game suspension after making contact with officials during the Christmas Day loss to Tasmania.

New Zealand ended the losing streak against Cairns on New Year’s Eve, where Fall (21 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block) produced his first NBL double-double in just over 16 minutes. Mooney (23 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Mennenga (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) provided support, while Tanner Groves (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) and Rob Edwards (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) led the Taipans as the Breakers won 92-68.

Fall’s best game of the season came against Perth on January 5, where he shot 10-of-12 from the field and finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 blocks, including 21 points during the first half. Mooney (28 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Darling (6 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block) helped New Zealand remain in front before Mooney fouled out during the fourth quarter, while Cotton (30 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth to an 82-81 win.

In a 24 January 2025 radio interview, owner Matt Walsh explained that New Zealand’s decision to bring in Fall followed doubts about whether the existing roster was strong enough to contend for a championship. Walsh called the results following the change disappointing for the Breakers as a team, rather than assigning the results to Fall individually. He also raised the possibility that Fall’s contract could be bought out during the off-season; this was discussed as a possibility, not a completed transfer.

Sources: Matt Walsh’s Newstalk ZB interview (24 January 2025); contemporary interview notes published by @SuperCoachPleb (27 January 2025).

Fall remained an efficient interior option over the closing weeks and finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists against Cairns on February 1. Mooney (24 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals) and King (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led New Zealand, while Sam Waardenburg (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Pedro Bradshaw (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Taipans as the Breakers won 99-92 and avoided the wooden spoon.

Jackson-Cartwright (18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 21 games) and Mooney (16.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) led New Zealand’s backcourt, while Mennenga (11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds across 29 games), Lopez (9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across 25 games) and King (8.5 points across 17 games) provided the other main contributions.

Jackson-Cartwright won the Breakers’ MVP and Members Choice awards, King was named Defensive Player of the Year and Mennenga’s career-high performance against Tasmania was voted the Fans’ Moment of the Year. New Zealand won only three of its final 19 games and finished ninth with a 10-19 record, missing the postseason.

New Zealand closed the season at Spark Arena on February 5, where Fall (16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) led the Breakers alongside Lopez (12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block), while Tyler Harvey (29 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists), Todd Blanchfield (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block) and Sam Froling (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Illawarra to a 96-82 win.

Tacko Fall played one season in the NBL. He averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 18 NBL games.