Concord, UNC and now the Hornets: Leaky Black relishing chance with hometown NBA team

Leaky Black said that playing basketball in the Tar Heel State means everything to him.

Black, a Concord native, attended Concord High for his first two years and committed to UNC as a sophomore. He played at Florida’s Montverde Academy as a junior and returned to his home state for his final year, teaming up with future Duke first-round pick Wendell Moore to lead Cox Mill to the N.C. 3A state championship in 2018.

He inked a two-way contract with the Hornets last summer after an illustrious five-year career at UNC. He’s currently averaging 11.3 points per game for the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.

“Get to have my family right down the road,” Black told The Observer. “A lot of guys aren’t fortunate enough to have that opportunity. I’m truly blessed, and I don’t take it for granted.”

Black scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the Swarm’s last-second 105-104 victory over Capital City on Tuesday. He went to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game at 104 with fewer than 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

He missed the second foul shot, but boxed out well and tried to corral the rebound. Black got the ball to his teammates, who fired shots at the rim against the pesky, late-game defense, and ultimately Trevon Scott’s game-winning putback at the buzzer sealed the win.

That ability to distribute the ball is one of Black’s best attributes.

“Getting out in transition,” guard Amari Bailey said of Black. “Especially with all the athletes we have and guys that can play-make at the rim and just make decisions.”

Bailey had a great game himself Tuesday, making 10 of his first 11 shots. Bailey was a standout at UCLA and was drafted by the Hornets in the second round.

Black played in a school-record 155 games (passing Deon Thompson) in Chapel Hill and earned ACC All-Defensive team honors in his senior and graduate seasons. During his final season at UNC last winter, Black ranked 10th in the ACC with 6.5 rebounds per game.

In the Novant Health Fieldhouse media room following the Swarm’s victory on Tuesday, Black thought about his basketball career in his home state. He didn’t make it far in the playoffs in either of his seasons at Concord High, and he remembers losing in the championship game in that one season at Montverde.

“I want to get a ring, every year, for the rest of my high school career,” Black told The Observer in 2015 before his sophomore year at Concord. “It’s possible. It’s not just me, but it’s my teammates. We’ve got some good pieces coming in.”

Already committed and confident in his name, Black wanted his family to be able to see him play. There weren’t as many opportunities for them to do so when he was at Montverde. So, he came home to the Charlotte area, and won that championship for the Chargers with Moore.

He’s remembered among the Charlotte high school basketball scene, and at UNC.

Now, Black hopes to make his mark as a member of his hometown NBA franchise, and given his start in Greensboro, he’s on his way.