Rechon Malik "Leaky" Black (born June 14, 1999) is an American basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He played collegiately for the North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
College career
Black, raised in Concord, North Carolina, committed to coach Roy Williams and North Carolina as a high school sophomore.[1] After a shortened freshman campaign due to an ankle injury, Black entered the starting lineup in his sophomore season for the Tar Heels.[2]
As a senior, Black became one of the top defensive players in the ACC, earning conference all-defensive team honors at the close of the regular season.[3] Black was a part of a Tar Heel starting lineup that each averaged big minutes and led the eighth-seeded Tar Heels to an unexpected Final Four berth in the 2022 NCAA tournament. In the semifinal against rival Duke, Black held Duke freshman AJ Griffin to 1–7 shooting for 6 points to help secure the win.[4][5]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Black signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets on July 19, 2023.[6]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Charlotte | 26 | 3 | 10.9 | .481 | .450 | .667 | 1.8 | .9 | .3 | .4 | 2.7 |
| Career | 26 | 3 | 10.9 | .481 | .450 | .667 | 1.8 | .9 | .3 | .4 | 2.7 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | North Carolina | 23 | 0 | 10.3 | .469 | .417 | .857 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .6 | .2 | 2.5 |
| 2019–20 | North Carolina | 32 | 31 | 29.7 | .359 | .254 | .696 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .8 | 6.5 |
| 2020–21 | North Carolina | 29 | 27 | 27.6 | .367 | .222 | .692 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.2 | .3 | 5.6 |
| 2021–22 | North Carolina | 38 | 38 | 29.7 | .466 | .333 | .868 | 4.3 | 2.7 | .9 | .7 | 4.9 |
| 2022–23 | North Carolina | 33 | 33 | 32.1 | .411 | .326 | .702 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 1.3 | .8 | 7.3 |
| Career | 155 | 129 | 26.9 | .401 | .296 | .735 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | .6 | 5.5 | |
Personal life
Black has been open about his struggles with anxiety and his coping strategies that have helped him control it.[2] He earned his nickname, which comes from his middle name "Malik", from his grandmother.[7]
References
- ^ "Leaky Black Commits to UNC". Tar Heel Times. January 15, 2016. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ a b Witz, Billy (April 3, 2022). "Leaky Black Has a Lot on His Mind, And That's OK". New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Koh, Michael (March 7, 2022). "Armando Bacot Named First Team All-ACC, Leaky Black Named to All-Defensive Team". Chapelboro. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Adam (March 31, 2022). "Final Four run provides connecting point in leadership growth for UNC senior Leaky Black". Times-News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Sweeney, Kevin (April 3, 2022). "Five Matchups That Will Decide UNC-Kansas Title Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Perley, Sam (July 19, 2023). "Charlotte Hornets Sign Leaky Black To Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ Camenker, Jacob (April 2, 2022). "Leaky Black nickname: How UNC's defensive star earned 'Leaky' moniker". Sporting News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.