October 09, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Jaylen Brown spent time with two of his future Sixers teammates before he even knew he was headed to Philadelphia.
NEW YORK – Back in June, Jabari Walker went on an overseas trip with some other NBA veterans and hopefuls. This trip to Morocco, organized by the National Basketball Players Association, featured a smattering of players from all over the league. And just a matter of days before the Sixers' transformational offseason began, Walker found himself growing closer with two players on the trip he did not know particularly well.
One was Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown. The other was unsigned center Tacko Fall.
With Brown's trade to Philadelphia in July and Fall's signing of an Exhibit 10 contract later in the offseason came two newfound friends for Walker as he entered his second season with the Sixers.
"As soon as [those moves] happened, I was excited about it," Walker told PhillyVoice last week at his new locker – which happens to be two seats in between those of new teammates Brown and Fall.
Walker and Brown share a trainer, so the trip was not their first time conversing. But Walker said that their preexisting relationship was "nothing too crazy." Now, they're having a "lot of conversations," especially when it comes to their shared passion for boxing.
"Just a very cerebral, cerebral guy," Walker said. "Always thinking. Quick to help, quick to share advice. Just a great person."
As the Sixers navigate the uncertain state of their backup center spot in the wake of Ariel Hukporti's season-ending Achilles tear, one potential solution is using Walker as a small-ball five – an arrangement which could be particularly successful if his progression as a three-point shooter continues. Walker was visibly excited talking about that progression after a 3-for-5 shooting line from beyond the arc in Monday's preseason opener:
"Man, can't really even explain how much work has gone into it. But a lot of mental work has went into it as well, just the confidence to shoot it. My teammates have seen me do it a lot of times, and now it's just about me understanding that it's the best shot for our team sometimes, and I'm a good shooter. I deserve to shoot that. So I think I just kind of took the pressure off myself this offseason. I said, ‘I'm going to go in here and just be confident, let the work show,’ and I continue doing that... It is [gratifying]. But it's tricky because you don't want that success to make you comfortable. So it's just another day for me, and I'll be in the gym tomorrow trying to figure out ways to get better. But it's cool to see that it's paying off that early. Now I’ve got to take it to another level."
If Walker can establish himself as a capable floor-spacing center, his best fit might be with Brown, whose high-volume one-on-one scoring can always be aided by proper spacing. If the Sixers have to find pockets of games to go small and use a five-out offense, it makes sense to do so when Brown is empowered to hunt his own shots. Walker can be the key to unlocking that look.
Jabari Walker was the Sixers' best reserve in Monday's preseason opener, showing off a three-point release meaningfully quicker than it was a year ago.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
11 points (3-5 3P)
11 rebounds pic.twitter.com/0mVI4U9DSh
“I love Jabari," Brown said on Monday. "Jabari has been great. He’s been awesome. He’s been doing his job. He’s been hitting shots. He’s been rebounding defensively and offensively. He’s been doing what the coaches have asked him to do. So, he’s been great and he’s been doing really well since training camp.”
Fall, of course, is vying to factor into the backup center mix eventually; if he does it would certainly not qualify as a small-ball look. The 7-foot-6, 299-pound big came to training camp to compete for the Sixers' available two-way contract with their other E-10 signees (and players that become available in the weeks ahead). A hip injury suffered a few days into camp will keep him out for at least two weeks, no doubt a blow to his chances of earning the two-way spot. But his spirits have been high – thanks in part to the friendly faces around him.
"It's really helpful," Fall told PhillyVoice on Thursday. "It helps with building the chemistry and all of that."
In a two-year stint with the Celtics earlier in his career, Fall logged 26 of his 37 career appearances. During that time, he forged a lasting bond with Brown.
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) September 1, 2026
"Jaylen, I've known for many years," Fall said. "He's a really close friend of mine."
In NBA locker rooms, all sorts of unlikely connections form and grow. Exhibit A: Fall, a native of Senegal, exchanging jokes with Brown, a native of Marietta, Georgia, as the Sixers prepared for their second preseason game on Thursday night.
But for Fall, Brown is far more than just a friend – and more than just a teammate.
"We're very similar in the way our minds work," Fall said. "And that's really how it started. We started to hang out a lot and we just got really close. He's one of my daughter's godfathers, too. So it's like family."
