Leaky Black

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).

Leaky Black
Black with North Carolina in 2020
No. 12 – Charlotte Hornets
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1999-06-14) June 14, 1999
Concord, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNorth Carolina (2018–2023)
NBA draft2023: undrafted
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–presentCharlotte Hornets
2023–present→Greensboro Swarm
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× ACC All-Defensive team (2022, 2023)

College career

Black, raised in Concord, North Carolina, committed to coach Roy Williams and North Carolina as a high school sophomore. After a shortened freshman campaign due to an ankle injury, Black entered the starting lineup in his sophomore season for the Tar Heels.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3][4] Over his 5-year career, Black has played in a UNC-record 155 games and has a UNC-record 60 losses.

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Black signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets on July 19, 2023.[5]

Career statistics
Legend
  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

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 North Carolina 23010.3.469.417.8572.11.2.6.22.5
2019–20 North Carolina 323129.7.359.254.6965.02.61.3.86.5
2020–21 North Carolina 292727.6.367.222.6924.92.41.2.35.6
2021–22 North Carolina 383829.7.466.333.8684.32.7.9.74.9
2022–23 North Carolina 333332.1.411.326.7024.81.51.3.87.3
Career 15512926.9.401.296.7354.72.21.1.65.5

Personal life

Black has been open about his struggles with anxiety and his coping strategies that have helped him control it.[1] He earned his nickname, which comes from his middle name "Malik," from his grandmother.[6]

References
  1. Witz, Billy (April 3, 2022). "Leaky Black Has a Lot on His Mind, And That's OK". New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. Koh, Michael (March 7, 2022). "Armando Bacot Named First Team All-ACC, Leaky Black Named to All-Defensive Team". Chapelboro. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  3. 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.
  4. Sweeney, Kevin (April 3, 2022). "Five Matchups That Will Decide UNC-Kansas Title Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. "Charlotte Hornets Sign Leaky Black To Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  6. Camenker, Jacob (April 2, 2022). "Leaky Black nickname: How UNC's defensive star earned 'Leaky' moniker". Sporting News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
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