Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in-between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.
The first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft was unofficially decided months ago, and officially decided on June 20: It's Zion Williamson, a truly freakish athlete who makes other freak athletes look like they’re playing with a weighted vest underneath their jerseys. But there was one man in college that even Williamson could not eclipse en route to the rim for a dunk: Tacko Fall, the 7’7” center from the University of Central Florida.
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Fall’s Knights nearly upset the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, and Fall concluded his career at UCF as the men’s basketball Division I record holder for field-goal percentage (74 percent). Yes, most of those attempts were the easiest-looking dunks you’ve ever seen; no, Fall is not a marksman from long range. But considering that his basketball career didn’t begin until he was 16—when he left his home in Dakar, Senegal, and flew to America for the first time—his shooting percentage is an impressive accomplishment all the same.
Fall’s path to the NBA is complicated by the reality that ultra-tall bigs are not valued like they used to be. But when we spoke by phone the week before the draft, Fall was not all that nervous about what’s next. There are a few seven-plus footers still roaming the paint, including soup-loving Philadelphia 76ers center Boban Marjanovic. Not even Marjanovic can measure up to Fall’s unthinkable 10-foot, 2.5-inch standing reach, which is an NBA combine record. Though Fall was not ultimately selected in the 2019 draft, he’ll likely get an opportunity to crack the pros soon enough. And in a conversation with GQ, he broke down how he’s been prepping for his post-collegiate playing days.
GQ: I saw that when you first got to Liberty Christian High School, you could do four pushups. Do you remember that first time trying to do pushups?
Tacko Fall: No, but I do remember the first time I tried to do bench press. I couldn’t even lift the bar with no weights on it.
If you’ve never tried it before, it’s not easy! I think something like that happened to Kevin Durant, too.
Yeah, I was probably 16 when that happened. I started working out a bit that first year of high school, and then that summer when I played AAU, I was on a really good team and we had a good weightlifting program. That’s when the competition picked up, and hanging out in that environment helped me too.
At one point in high school, I read you were eating north of 7,000 calories a day. Is that true?
[Laughs] 7,000 is an exaggeration, but I was eating a lot. Definitely more than I do now.
What calorie intake are you aiming for now?
The recommendation is 6,000, which is obviously still a lot of food. With the traveling lately while prepping for the draft, it’s been really hard to meet that and maintain a good diet. It’s difficult to not just grab whatever you can.
Before all the pre-draft travel, what did an average day look like for you?
I was never really big on breakfast, but lately I’ve been trying to eat something in the mornings. I don’t eat pork, so whenever I can, I grab some turkey sausage or turkey bacon. A lot of fruits—grapes and bananas especially. For lunch, when I came to LA to train, we had a chef that would cook up some food. I’d just take whatever he has. He’d bring in different boxes and I’d eat whatever was inside the box. One box for lunch, and then a couple hours later, I’d eat again, and then do the same thing again.
Are you more of a morning or evening person?
Most days, I like to work out in the morning. I don’t get much sleep in general.
What kind of morning wakeup time are we talking about? Like, 5 a.m.?
No, no, no! Some days I will definitely sleep in. And it’s not that early.
Has there been anything you’ve tried to limit or cut out from your diet of late?
Yeah, I was never really huge on fast food, but throughout this process, I’ve really cut down on that. I do love Chick-fil-A. I can’t remember the last time I had it, and I’ve been trying to eat a lot healthier than I used to. I’m avoiding fried food and things like that. But I’m not going to lie, I might have my cheat day soon and grab some. It’s been too long.
You first declared for the NBA Draft two years ago, but learned from NBA feedback that they wanted you to increase your stamina. How did you work on that in recent years after you returned to UCF?
I was fortunate that UCF has a great staff, and they knew specifically what to do. They helped me understand my body more. Everything I used to do was a little different than my teammates, including my conditioning regimen. I did a lot of injury prevention. And I don’t do deadlifts to avoid putting too much pressure on my back. My last year, everything was about hip strength, balance, my core, and lower body stuff. Just nothing heavy.
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Speaking of precautions, I read you use two full-size mattresses pushed together to make a bed long enough to comfortably sleep.
Back at school, yeah, I did that all four years of college. Right now, I’ve been staying at an Airbnb in L.A. so I can’t do that.
What kind of bed is at this Airbnb? Is it at least king-sized?
I think it is, yeah! In a few weeks, I’ll get a way bigger bed once I’m settled and everything. But I’m not really picky.
What is your least favorite question about your height?
It’s a lot of questions and bad jokes. “How’s the weather up there? Do you play basketball?” Most of the time, I don’t mind, but when I’m in a rush and have to be somewhere, it can be a problem. Once you stop once, everybody wants to talk and take pictures. I get it to some degree, but at the time, I don’t want to be a freak show. I’m still human.
When you first came to America, what was the weirdest or strangest food you encountered?
It was definitely the first time I tried barbecue wings. It was my first night in the States, and we went to a Buffalo Wild Wings or something like that. I had never had barbecue in my life. It’s so sweet, and I tried these wings and was like what the? But now, I love barbecue.
Do you have a favorite dish from Senegal?
Yeah, I love going to New York because they have good Senegalese restaurants. I went not too long ago and found a place with a main dish of rice and fish, basically. Whenever I go to New York, I try and grab it. In Orlando, we didn’t have a Senegalese restaurant, but my senior year, I was fortunate enough to meet a few friends from Senegal who invited me to their house and cooked for me.
Do you have a playing weight target for pro basketball?
Somewhere in the 300 to 305 range. The heaviest I’ve been was 315, and I didn’t like that as much. So I’ve trimmed down.
We’re talking less than a week out from the NBA Draft. How are your nerves right now?
Not as nervous as people think I should be. Honestly, I’m already living my dream. I’ve made it so far from where I started. All the opportunities that have come my way, I’m just thankful for them. I haven’t had time to feel nervous. I’ve been enjoying it, and it’s been fun playing basketball all over the place. This will work out the way it’s supposed to.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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