 Black with North Carolina in 2020 | |
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 14, 1999 Concord, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | North Carolina (2018–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2024 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2023–2024 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| 2024–2025 | Capital City Go-Go |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Rechon Malik "Leaky" Black (born June 14, 1999) is an American professional basketball player, currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
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.[4] In the semifinal against rival Duke, Black held Duke freshman AJ Griffin to 1–7 shooting for 6 points to help secure the win.[5][6]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Black signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets on July 19, 2023.[7] However, he was waived on August 1, 2024.[8]
On September 29, 2024, Black signed with the Washington Wizards,[9] but was waived on October 12.[10] On October 28, he joined the Capital City Go-Go.[11]
The Wizards added Black to their training camp roster prior to the 2025–26 season.
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.[12]
References
- ↑ "Leaky Black Commits to UNC". TarHeelTimes.com. January 15, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ "2021-22 UNC Tar Heels Men's Roster and Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Charlotte Hornets Waive Leaky Black". NBA.com. August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Wizards Announce 2024 Training Camp Roster/Schedule". NBA.com. September 29, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ↑ Wizards PR [@WizPRStats] (October 12, 2024). "Official: The Washington Wizards have waived G Kira Lewis Jr. and F Leaky Black" (Tweet). Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Go-Go Announce Training Camp Roster, Dates". NBA.com. October 28, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ↑ Camenker, Jacob (April 2, 2022). "Leaky Black nickname: How UNC's defensive star earned 'Leaky' moniker". Sporting News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.