Tag: Leaky Black

Leaky Black makes first career NBA start on Monday night

Leaky Black spent five years entertaining UNC basketball fans. He got the chance of a lifetime in the NBA on Monday, Feb. 5.

Odds are, every young athlete’s dream is to play their sport at the highest possible level.

Nowadays, you’ll see kids eating, sleeping and breathing sports. This means sacrificing time at home for travel sports, spending their rare free time watching collegiate players or the pros and – to further improve their skill sets, train with the best.

The young athlete I’m writing about in this story is Leaky Black, the former 5-year UNC basketball player who is now a member of the Charlotte Hornets.

Black originally signed a 2-way contract with Charlotte on July 19 last year, meaning he splits time with the Hornets and their G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

He’s been playing with Charlotte regularly and – on Monday night, started an NBA game for the first time.

Black did a little bit of everything in the Hornets’ 125-119 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night – scoring two points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists in 16 minutes.

This move likely isn’t permanent, but was needed with Charlotte having three guards (LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin, Frank Ntilikina) listed on the injury report.

Having a versatile guard-forward like Black to count on, though, will certainly benefit a young, struggling Hornets team in the immediate future.

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Leaky Black helps seal win for Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets forward Leaky Black made a big impact in the team’s win over Minnesota on Monday night.

Former North Carolina Tar Heel standout Leaky Black has made an impact with the Charlotte Hornets and on Monday, it helped result in a road win.

Despite a big game from Karl-Anthony Towns, the Hornets managed to pull off the win on the road at Minnesota. With a 126-125 lead late in the fourth quarter, Black blocked a drive by Towns that would have given them the lead.

He was then fouled with 1.7 seconds left and went to the line to make both free throws for the 128-125 lead and eventual win.

Black hasn’t played much this season, appearing in just 12 games for the Hornets, averaging 5.3 minutes per game. During those appearances, he’s averaged 1.7 points per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field.

The good news is that when he got the chance to make a play in a big game on Monday, he made the most of it to help his team get a win.

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Leaky Black shows off hops in Thursday night G-League action

Leaky Black became known for his lockdown defensive abilities for the UNC men’s basketball team. In the G-League, he’s dunking with ease.

When you think of past UNC basketball players who exemplify “The Carolina Way,” who are some people that come to mind?

For me, one of the most recent is Leaky Black, the Concord, N.C. native who played at Carolina from 2018-2023. Black was primarily known as a lockdown defender, but added a solid 3-point shooting touch to his arsenal during the 2022-2023 campaign.

It’s always sad to see a Carolina staple leave, but not when that player is continuing their hoops career.

For Leaky, he is living a dream that any young basketball player desires – suiting up for an NBA team. Better yet, Leaky is playing for his hometown Charlotte Hornets.

Black is currently on a 2-way contract with Charlotte, suiting for its G-League affiliate Greensboro Swarm. If he hasn’t captured the organization’s attention already, wait until you see this thunderous dunk he throws down:

Despite Black ending his night with 13 points and eight rebounds, the Swarm were overpowered in a 139-107 loss at the Capital City Go-Go, G-League affiliate of the Washington Wizards. Black’s point output was above his season average of 11.6.

I miss the days of watching Leaky steal a basketball with ease, sprinting up the court and throwing the ball down. If he keeps making highlight-reel slams like the one in the above video, he’ll be back up in Charlotte long before the season ends.

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Amari Bailey scores 26 points, Leaky Black nears triple-double in G League debuts

Hornets rookies Amari Bailey and Leaky Black debuted in the G League on Friday and led the Swarm to their first win.

Charlotte Hornets rookies Amari Bailey and Leaky Black debuted in the G League on Friday and helped lead the Greensboro Swarm to their first win of the season.

Bailey produced a game-high 26 points, six assists, three assists, one steal and one block on 10-of-20 shooting from the field in the 108-82 victory over the Raptors 905. Black recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 28 minutes. He went 4-of-6 from the field.

Bailey and Black made their presence known off the bench, and both were productive during their time on the court. They filled the stat sheet and the highlight reel for the Swarm.

The two players, who are signed to two-way contracts, were assigned to the Swarm on Friday afternoon. Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward and Brandon Miller returned to the Hornets’ lineup on Friday, and the team opted to send Bailey and Black to the G League for playing time.

Now that the Hornets are getting healthier, Bailey and Black will likely suit up more for the Swarm. They play their next four games at home within the next week, including another matchup against the 905 on Saturday, so they should see more minutes.

The organization valued the additions of Bailey and Black and is likely eager to see how they develop in the G League. They have shown what they can provide in a small sample size and should continue to improve with more minutes.

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Nine former UNC Basketball players on 2023-2024 NBA rosters

The NBA is well-represented by former Tar Heels, with nine suiting up across seven teams. The newest professional Tar Heel is Leaky Black.

NBA fans, sing your praises – the regular season is finally upon us.

Opening night kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 24, with Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors giving fans an appetizer. There will be a full slate of games tonight, highlighted by Celtics-Knicks and Mavericks-Spurs, plus more to come throughout the weekend.

Tar Heel fans are highly anticipating the UNC season opener on Monday, Nov. 6 against Radford, but there’s good reason for them to also be excited about the NBA.

Nine former Tar Heels – Leaky Black, Cole Anthony, Day’Ron Sharpe, Harrison Barnes, Danny Green, Nassir Little, Coby White, Cam Johnson and Reggie Bullock – are on NBA rosters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyzMY5zsFVw/?hl=en

A couple of them are starting, a few are valuable role players while one is a rookie.

Let’s take a deeper look at each former Tar Heel and how long they’ve been in the NBA for. Will any of them walk away with another championship?

Leaky Blacks talks about teaming up with Brandon Miller

Former Tar Heel Leaky Black discusses teaming up with Brandon Miller during Charlotte Hornets media day.

NBA teams have kicked off their media day, and many feature some former Tar Heels, one being Charlotte Hornets’ [autotag]Leaky Black[/autotag].

Despite going undrafted, Black still put ink to paper for an NBA contract, signing a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Black, known for his ability to defend, slowly became a reliable three-point shooter, translating into a perfect 3-D NBA player.

There is much buzz surrounding the Hornets, announcing their new sponsor deal with Mr. Beast and the anticipation of second overall pick Brandon Miller. Yes, the same Miller who Black held to 14 points on 4 for 21 shooting in the quadruple overtime loss to Alabama a season ago.

In media day fashion, Black was asked how it was teaming up with the player he held in check a season ago.

Black will likely spend some time with the Hornets G-league affiliate Greensboro Swarm, often the route most of their rookies go.

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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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Former North Carolina forward Leaky Black signs two-way contract with Hornets

Black debuted with the Hornets in summer league, averaging 2.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three games.

Former North Carolina forward Leaky Black, who went undrafted this year, signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced.

Black was named to the ACC All-Defensive team last season for the second straight year after averaging 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals. He became one of three Tar Heel players to earn the award multiple times and was a runner-up for ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

He set the program record for games played over his five seasons (155).

The 6-foot-8 Black debuted with the Hornets in summer league, averaging 2.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three games between the California Classic and Las Vegas.

Black will split his time next season between the Hornets and Greensboro Swarm in the G League. He is eligible to spend no more than 50 games in the NBA and will earn a flat salary equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.

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Leaky Black officially signs two-way deal with Charlotte Hornets

Former North Carolina standout Leaky Black has officially signed a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

Former North Carolina forward Leaky Black is staying close to home as he continues his basketball journey after five years with the Tar Heels.

After playing with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Summer League the past few weeks, Black has officially signed a two-way deal with the franchise on Wednesday. President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced the deal but with team policy the details were not revealed.

Black received limited playing time with the Hornets in the California Classic and NBA2K24 Summer League, appearing in three games averaging 2.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.

The forward spent five seasons at North Carolina appearing in a school-record 155 games while making 130 starts. During that time at UNC, Black averaged 5.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Over his time at North Carolina, Black developed into one of the best defenders not only in the ACC but in the country. He flashed that ability by guarding the best player on opposing teams.

Black will now try to earn a spot on the roster for the upcoming season.

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Twitter reacts to Leaky Black’s Summer League performance

Twitter reacts to Leaky Black’s strong summer league performance with the Charlotte Hornets.

The annual NBA Summer League is underway, and a few former UNC basketball players are getting a shot to prove they belong, including fan favorite [autotag]Leaky Black[/autotag].

Unlike other Tar Heels participating in the Summer League, Black would not see the court for three straight DNPs (Did not play) before fans saw him lace up in Hornet’s 97-93 loss to the Portland Trailblazers.

The lack of play has had UNC fans in an uproar, wondering if it was more than a coach’s decision, but it appears Black is back in the rotation after delivering his best performance in the Summer League.

Black and the Hornets took on the New Orleans Pelicans and former UNC teammate Garrison Brooks. Black finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds in 16 minutes of play. What stood out most was his ability to showcase his fit as a Three-and-D guy, knocking down 2 of 3 attempts from behind the arch.

The performance highlights what makes the Black game special and should contribute to more playing time. To no shock, the breakout performance brought quite a reaction on Twitter.

Let us look at how Twitter reacted to Leaky Black’s Summer League performance.