When you think of Tacko Fall, the towering 7’7″ NBA veteran, images of shot-blocking dominance and rim-rattling dunks usually come to mind. But now, Fall is trading the hardwood for the tatami, beginning a new athletic chapter under renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Adem Redzovic at Downtown Jiu-Jitsu Club Chicago.

Redzovic stated:

7’7 tall with great mobility @tackofall99 working on his open guard with @ademredzovic …. Trying to pass Taco’s guard will be very dangerous 👀

Fresh off his stint with the New Zealand Breakers — where he averaged 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18 games — Fall is the latest in a growing list of professional basketball players turning to BJJ to sharpen their physical tools and mental resilience.

The Giant on the Mats

Social media clips from Downtown Jiu-Jitsu show Fall’s surprising mobility despite his extraordinary height. Working on open guard techniques, his sheer wingspan makes passing his guard a dangerous game for any training partner. Redzovic’s team even joked online that getting past him could be “very dangerous” — and not without reason.

Watch Tacko training Jiu-Jitsu:

NBA and BJJ: A Growing Connection

Fall isn’t alone in this crossover movement. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has become one of BJJ’s most visible ambassadors in the league. He credits the art with transforming both his coaching style and mental approach to challenges.

“When I got the job I wanted something harder… so by the time I come into the building, I’ve already done something significantly harder than what I’m doing here,” Mazzulla explained on a podcast with UFC coach Eric Nicksick.

He also highlighted one of BJJ’s most unique qualities — the inability to hide.

“You can hide psychologically in the world today. The one place you can’t hide is in a match.”

Mazzulla says this raw honesty helps him empathize with his players’ struggles and fosters better communication.

The “White Belt Mentality”

Mazzulla promotes what he calls a white belt mentality — always staying open to learning, even for elite athletes used to being the best in the room. “There’s a humility aspect to just getting your a– kicked from time to time, getting coached,” he says.

Other Hoopers on the Mats

• Shaquille O’Neal (BJJ’s “Shaq”) has been spotted training and sparring in gi and no-gi, using his size to his advantage but also embracing the challenge of learning from scratch.

• Rudy Gobert, the 7’1″ Minnesota Timberwolves star, took classes with black belt Samuel Munin in France, surprising many with his agility and balance during drills.

• Roy Hibbert, a former NBA All-Star, holds a purple belt in BJJ and has even taken on a 400-pound sumo wrestler, proving the versatility that comes from cross-training.

These cases illustrate a pattern: basketball players — often towering, powerful, and explosive — are finding that jiu-jitsu offers something basketball can’t: a deeply personal, humbling, and accountability-driven challenge.

Why BJJ Appeals to NBA Players

In team sports, an off-night can be covered by a teammate’s hot streak. In jiu-jitsu, there’s nowhere to hide — it’s just you, your opponent, and the truth of your skills. The sport demands adaptability, focus, and constant problem-solving under pressure.

For Tacko Fall, BJJ offers a chance to use his unique physical frame in a completely different way, while developing the mental toughness and humility that keep elite athletes sharp long after their playing careers end.

As more NBA stars step onto the mats, it’s clear this isn’t just a passing trend — it’s part of a broader shift in how world-class athletes approach peak performance. From slam dunks to arm drags, basketball’s biggest names are proving that greatness doesn’t have to stay in one arena.

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