The 'Leaky Treatment' works both ways for Black, Hornets

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Leaky Black of Concord, who made his name as a defensive specialist at North Carolina, will try to improve on that success with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Summer League.

Signing with the Charlotte Hornets was a dream come true for Leaky Black.

From playing high school ball at Concord and Cox Mill to five seasons at North Carolina under Roy Williams and Hubert Davis, the Concord native’s journey has brought him back home.

Just 10 minutes from home, in fact.

“I know I say a lot, but I feel super blessed to play at Chapel Hill and come and play for the Hornets,” Black said. “I live like 10 minutes down the road, so I’ve been able to stay with my mom and my sisters, so it’s like a dream come true.

“It’s really all I know, just growing up in Concord. My dad was a legend at Concord High School and my mom being a principal, so I’ve kind of been under a microscope my whole life. Just being able to come and play for the hometown, as you can imagine, my phone has been blowing up. But it’s been fun.”

Black signed a two-way contract with the Hornets after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. Despite the disappointment of not being one of the 58 names called at Barclay’s Center last month, he had an idea that he would land with the hometown Hornets after working out for 11 teams.

“My agent was telling me that the Hornets were calling every single day, sometimes twice a day. We kind of knew where it was leaning,” Black said. “We’ve got a very talented group, but this is one of the most talented teams that I’ve played on. We’re just excited to get out there and show can we do.”

Finding his identity

Known for his defense and durability, Black played in a North Carolina-best 155 games, starting 130 over five seasons in Chapel Hill. At 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and 209-pound frame, he was known for the “Leaky Treatment” when assigned to guard the opposing team’s best player, resulting in multiple All-ACC Defensive Team awards.

Black averaged 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last season while shooting 41.1% from the field. Continuing to develop his playmaking and shot creation off the dribble are the next steps to finding a place in the Hornets’ rotation, and he’s showcasing it through summer league practices.

“Obviously, my defense is what got me here. But I feel like I’m surprising these coaches with what I can do, like playmaking, shot making, my IQ and athleticism,” Black said in an exclusive interview with The Post.

Leading up to the draft, clips from last season’s North Carolina-Alabama matchup – featuring Charlotte’s No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, whom Black guarded for the entirety of a four-overtime game – spanned social media. Black held Miller to just 14 points and four made baskets on 21 attempts in over 48 minutes of play.
The two now share the court in purple and teal, and Miller respects his game.

“[Saturday] was the first day he’s brought it up,” Black said of Miller. “We sat together during film before practice and he made a joke about it saying, ‘Respect to this guy, he locked me up.’ It’s all fun and games but being on this team you can see how talented of a player he is.”

Familiar faces

Black becomes the 32nd active Tar Heel across both the NBA and G-League, and alumni to play with the Hornets, which include Marvin Williams and Jackson Simmons. Black’s work with Williams has continued from the college to the professional ranks.

“Marv – I’ve been talking to him throughout the season a little bit,” Black said. “He’s helping me with my shot and working with me on drills. There’s a lot of guys, a lot of Carolina alum in here.”

As far as former high school teammates in the league now, Black played his penultimate high school season at Florida’s Montverde Academy with former Duke star and current New York Knick R.J. Barrett. Black returned to Cabarrus County for his senior season, teaming up with Wendell Moore, another former Blue Devil and current Minnesota Timberwolves wing, to lead Cox Mill to its second Class 3A state championship in as many years.

Black wants to match up against former teammate and current Brooklyn Nets wing Cameron Johnson – who just recently inked a four-year, $108 million extension to stay with the Nets. Johnson was among the first people to call following the news that Black signed with Charlotte.

“Cam Johnson, he’s the one who kind of guided me throughout the last two years to get this point,” Black said of which former teammate he wants a chance to defend. “He was one of the first people to call me once the news broke, so I’m excited to play against him for sure.”

The opportunity is surreal, and familiar faces sentimental, but when Black steps between the white lines, it’s all about proving himself.

“I feel like at Carolina, I was grateful for my time there, but I wasn’t able to show what I really can do,” he said.

Next steps

Black was a guard and facilitator in high school but more of a “three and D” player at North Carolina. He was a career 29.6% three-point shooter in college, shooting 33.3% and 32.6% his last two seasons.

Every team is looking to add shooters and wing defenders, but Black will need to continue to improve his outside shooting to carve out a full-time roster spot, whether in Charlotte or another NBA city.

The Hornets have a crowded frontcourt with Miller, restricted free agents Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington, Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre (unrestricted free agent), J.T. Thor and Cody Martin, so Black will likely see extended time with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G-League affiliate.

Each NBA team is allowed three two-way contracts, which grants a player up to 50 games with the NBA team per season and the remainder in the G-League. While details of Black’s deal are yet to be released, two-way players are paid a flat salary equal to 50% of the league minimum for first-year players. For the 2023-24 seasons, that’s just upwards of $1M, meaning Black is making roughly $500,000 this season.

There have been plenty of successful two-way players since the concept was introduced in the 2017-18 season, including Duncan Robinson (Miami), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City), and Alex Caruso (Chicago), among others.

The first chance for Black to stake his claim comes on July 3 against the San Antonio Spurs in the California Classic. Following the quick stint in Sacramento, all 30 NBA teams will participate in the 18th Las Vegas Summer League, each playing at least five games. Charlotte’s matchups include the San Antonio Spurs and No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.

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