Leaky Black sporting #12 with hometown Hornets

Leaky Black, who emerged as one of the best defensive players in UNC basketball history, will wear number 12 in his first professional year.

Leaky Black made a name for himself at UNC as one of college basketball’s premier defenders over the past several years.

He was typically assigned the opposition’s top scorer, frustrating them into rushed shots or – even better for the Tar Heels – turnovers.

Black added perimeter shooting to his arsenal during the 2022-2023 campaign, his final in Tar Heel blue, which helped a Carolina team that typically tends to struggle from outside. Black ended his collegiate career playing in a record 155 games for UNC, starting 130 of them.

Luckily for Black, he was one of the select few who got to continue his career into the NBA. Earlier this summer, Black signed a two-way deal with his hometown Charlotte Hornets. He grew up in Concord, N.C. and, before playing at Montverde Academy, tore up the courts at Concord and Cox Mill High School, leading the latter to the 2018 NCHSAA 3A state championship.

Just yesterday, Black was assigned his first jersey number for the Hornets – 12.

It remains to be seen how much playing time Black sees in his first NBA season, but he’ll likely see the court a lot more now, as Kelly Oubre Jr. recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Oubre mainly started at small forward – which Black played at UNC – for the Hornets last year.

In an NBA where 100-point games are commonplace, Black’s skillset will be especially useful. The Hornets allowed opponents to score the ninth-most points per game last year, while they sported the second-worst 3-point shooting percentage.

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