Boston Celtics' rookie big man Tacko Fall admitted that he’s a fan of the New England Patriots and considers veteran quarterback Tom Brady as the greatest of all time (GOAT) in the NFL. “I’ve become a Patriots fan because they were my first football game. … besides college,” Fall said before the Celtics squared off against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday at TD Garden, per a video posted by CLNS Media on YouTube.
During the interview, Fall said he was disappointed that the Patriots’ season ended early with a 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Wild Card Weekend.
“It’s unfortunate. I thought they were going to win the Super Bowl,” said the 7-foot-5 Fall, who joined the Celtics as an undrafted free agent after teams passed on him despite an impressive four-year stint with UCF.
Fall confident Patriots will bounce back
Fall believes that as the best franchise in the NFL, the Patriots will figure things out next season. As for the 42-year-old Brady, Fall called him the "GOAT," saying his loss to the Titans doesn’t define his 20-year career in the NFL. “You can’t knock that. You have good days, bad days, but that doesn’t define him,” said Fall, believing that the veteran quarterback “will work through it and make things happen.” However, Fall said he doesn’t see himself playing in the NBA when he’s 42 or 43, unlike Brady, who remains on top of his game despite his age.
In their 129-114 loss to the Spurs, Fall suited up for 10 minutes, scoring four points and grabbing three boards. Fall is a fan favorite in Boston and is one of the top vote-getters for the NBA All-Star Game. Based on the first returns from fan voting, Fall was in sixth place with 110,269 votes among Eastern Conference frontcourt players.
Fall even led prominent players like Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo and teammate Gordon Hayward.
Brady must be given better supporting cast
Brady is set to turn unrestricted free agent unless the Patriots sign him to a new deal between now and March. Until that happens, rumors surrounding Brady’s future and predictions about his next destination will abound.
In an earlier interview, Brady hinted that he’s interested in staying with the Patriots, but insisted that all remains uncertain. Former Patriots executive Scott Pioli is convinced that Brady will return with the Patriots as he doesn’t want to end his career on a pick-six in their loss to the Titans.
In his report for ESPN.com, Jeremy Fowler said an unnamed NFL executive believes that Brady will return to the Patriots, but he should be given a better supporting cast on offense. Earlier, Hall of Fame' wide receiver and former Patriot Randy Moss and former NFL coach Rex Ryan said New England should provide Brady with a better receiver if he returns to the team.
