Tacko Fall, the rookie center for the Boston Celtics and Maine Red Claws, will be a guest conductor for the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the 7:30 p.m. performance of a Holiday Pops concert on Monday at Boston’s Symphony Hall.
“I’m excited,” Fall said by phone from Las Vegas, where the Red Claws are preparing for games Thursday and Saturday as part of the G League Showcase. “I love music, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Shaquille O’Neal served as the guest conductor for the Boston Pops in 2010. Another Celtics center, Tacko Fall, will do the same on Monday. Gretchen Ert/Associated Press
Tickets for the performance range from $85 to $162.
A 7-foot-5-inch native of Senegal, Fall is following in the size 22 dress shoes (same as his own) of another seven-foot Celtics center, Shaquille O’Neal. Although nearing the end of his career at age 39, O’Neal lasted only 10 months in Boston. Still, he famously donned a tuxedo with tails for a 2010 Holiday Pops concert and conducted three songs.
One of those, Sleigh Ride, was written by Leroy Anderson and first performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, then conducted by Arthur Fiedler, in 1948. That’s the piece with which Fall is scheduled to perform.
“It’s one of our signature tunes,” said Matthew Erikson, senior publicist for the symphony.
Fall, who played college basketball at the University of Central Florida, and O’Neal, who played professionally for both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, have had “friendly conversations,” Fall said, but have not broached any baton basics.
Fall said he is a fan of all types of music, with rap, hip-hop, reggae and African leading the list. He bought a guitar this fall and is still learning how to play it.
“I haven’t touched it for a while,” he said. “I left it in Maine.”
Last week in Boston at a high-end men’s clothing store called Zareh, Fall was fitted for a size 48 extra long tuxedo with tails that required four extra inches added to the pants and to the sleeves.
“It was awesome,” Fall said of his first experience with a tuxedo, “even though it’s a rental and I have to give it back. But he had other stuff. I bought a jacket.”
Because of a knee bruise suffered Nov. 25 in Memphis, Fall has not been in Maine since before Thanksgiving. He returned to practice last week, sat on the Celtics bench in Thursday night’s home loss to Philadelphia and was back in a Red Claws jersey Friday night in Iowa.
He said his knee is healing, that he is working on regaining his conditioning and it feels good to return to the court.
The Red Claws (9-4) play Canton Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time to kick off the four-day Showcase, then wrap up their appearance with a Saturday game against either Stockton or Delaware.
After a game in Washington D.C. on Dec. 27 against the Capital City Go-Go, the Claws finally return to the Portland Expo for afternoon games Dec. 29 (against College Park) and 31 (Delaware). Both are sold out.
Growing up as a Muslim in Senegal, Fall said he was aware of the Christian holiday, and even has a favorite Christmas movie: Home Alone.
With temperatures in Las Vegas barely cresting 50 degrees, Fall lamented the absence of another prized possession, a custom-sized Canada Goose parka with a fur-lined hood.
“I left it in Maine,” he said. “That was not a good idea.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
