Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.
Leaky Black is one of ten former UNC players in the NBA.
Just like Theo Pinson did to prolong his career in professional basketball, Black signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets and their general manager, former Tar Heel star Mitch Kupchak.
I will get this out of the way. Duke currently has 23 former players in the NBA – Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Mason Plumlee, R.J. Barrett, Seth Curry, Gary Trent, Jr., Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, Zion Williamson, Wendell Carter Jr., Marvin Bagley III, Grayson Allen, Paolo Banchero, Cam Reddish, Tre Jones, Harry Giles, Jalen Johnson, A.J. Griffin, Mark Williams, Dereck Lively II, Wendell Moore and Dariq Whitehead.
Black gets us into double figures, but the days of having more NBA guys than Duke might be over. The Blue Devils capitalized big time on Mike Krzyzewski being U.S. Olympic coach for 12 years, meaning that the Kobe Bryants and LeBron Jameses could help Duke recruit more than restricted alumni like Grant Hill, one of many now-retired pro players from Duke.
We have to be proud of Black joining Cole Anthony, Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock, Cameron Johnson, Walker Kessler, Nassir Little, Pete Nance, Day’Ron Sharpe and Coby White. All of those besides Nance began with Roy Williams, who had two dozen others who are done playing such as four starters on the 2009 NCAA champs, Hansbrough, Ellington, Lawson and Green.
Back in the day, Dean Smith got more players drafted onto NBA rosters than anyone, including Coach K. Can you say Carter, Cunningham, Daugherty, Walter Davis, Hubert Davis, Ford, Fox, Jamison, Jones, Jordan, O’Koren, Charlie Scott, Kenny Smith, Stackhouse, Wallace and Worthy, to mention a bunch?
When Black assured the Hornets’ upset of Minnesota by blocking a shot of Karl-Anthony Towns, who otherwise had 62 points, it shows the versatility that Eric Montross talked about when Leaky was a freshman at Carolina. Who knows how long Black will stay with the big club, but he is there for now.
Pinson had two-way contracts with the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks and he got into 127 NBA games, using his defensive chops and also as one of the best teammates in all three organizations, and he remains an unrestricted free agent with Dallas.
Black is filling much of the same role, and Hornets coach Steve Clifford is sure to give him even more minutes than the five he got against the first-place T-Wolves and had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Remember, scoring isn’t everything. Dudley Bradley was a first-round draft pick in 1979, played 10 years in the league and averaged only 5 points a game.
Keep climbing, Rechon Malik.
Featured image via Associated Press/Abbie Parr
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines