A Conversation With Orlando Magic Rookie Anthony Black

At 6-foot-6, Anthony Black boasts the latest iteration of one of the NBA’s most coveted archetypes: the big point guard. His ability to see over the defense and facilitate for teammates was a driving force behind Orlando’s selection of him with the sixth overall pick. In his freshman year at Arkansas, Black finished fourth in the SEC with 4.2 assists per game. The 19-year-old attributes his command of the court to years of being a student of the game.

“I've always been a sponge and I’ve always loved to watch basketball since I was a little kid,” Black told Draft Digest. “Whether it's myself, or NBA players, or really just any basketball game, I love watching and taking in stuff like that. I think some of my feel might come from that.”

The NBA has seen an influx of tall floor generals in recent years, each with their own twist on the position. This gives up-and-coming big guards like Black a variety of skill sets to take after.

“There are those big guards I like to watch,” stated Black when I asked him who he models his game after. “Tyrese Haliburton, Josh Giddey, Cade Cunningham, and Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] are probably the main ones.”

To gain a deeper perspective on Black’s development as a basketball player, it's important to understand the impact of his experience playing football and soccer growing up. On the football field, he starred as a wide receiver, even earning an offer to play both football and basketball at Baylor. On the soccer pitch, he slotted in as a defender up until middle school.

“I think all three of these sports come with different traits and sharpen different parts of your body,” noted Black. “Obviously football is a lot more physical, so, on the court, if you have that same type of toughness and physicality it gives you an edge. Then with soccer, I feel like there’s a lot with angles, so that helps a lot on defense getting to the spot and cutting your man off and also with the ball, passing angles and making lead passes…it all kind of ties into the same little boat.”

I found this response from Black particularly thought-provoking. As he described, a lot of his best basketball skills can be traced to the other sports he excelled in. His ability to craft passing angles on the fly and find teammates on the basketball court with leading passes is reminiscent of a defender fending off a press to pass the ball forward on the soccer field. The same top-notch hands which make him a defensive disruptor, and drove him to finish third in the SEC in steals per game last season, were catching passes as a Division I-caliber wide receiver. Furthermore, Black’s contact-hunting nature has made him a foul-drawing machine and speaks to the level of physicality he became accustomed to on the gridiron. Starring in many different sports at a young age allowed Black to develop useful strengths in ways he couldn’t have had he simply specialized in basketball.

In addition to his development on the court, Black spoke on the importance of becoming a leader off of it and how he learned to be one in his lone season as a Razorback under Coach Eric Musselman.

“Coach [Musselman] did a good job at Arkansas teaching me how to run the team and be a vocal leader,” credited Black. “It's not really a big thing on the court, but it's more the mentality, the leadership, the ability to talk to people, and command the floor.”

Knowing the importance of being his best self off the court, Black will look to soak up more knowledge as he turns his focus to connecting with his teammates in Orlando. He’ll be in a facility with NBA veterans such as Joe Ingles, Gary Harris, and Markelle Fultz, who he looks forward to learning from.

“You know they’ve been doing this for a long time...it’ll be cool to see their work habits and the way they eat and the way they prepare for games,” remarked the Magic rookie.

On the court, Black will join reigning NBA Rookie Of The Year Paolo Banchero as well as Franz Wagner as franchise cornerstones. Both are massive forwards who can handle the ball and create offense in unorthodox ways. Black is optimistic about his fit alongside those two stars as well as with the entire roster.

“I definitely fit in well with those two, but really the whole team. There are a lot of versatile dudes that can play multiple positions, score the ball, pass the ball, and defend. As a playmaker, playing with dudes like that, it makes my job a lot easier… definitely excited to play with those guys,” exclaimed Black.

However, prior to the draft, Black wasn’t sure that Orlando would be his future home.

“It was really a toss-up. I felt like I did pretty well in my workout,” said Black. “They thought it was a good meeting, but I was pretty sure there was still a chance they were gonna take somebody else. I definitely didn't know that I was gonna go to Orlando, but if I didn't, I was pretty confident that I was gonna go to DC and then I was pretty confident [I’d go] eight, nine, or ten.”

As he’s set to join the NBA ranks, it’s important to remember that Black is just 19 years old and far from a finished product. He knew exactly which direction to go in after I asked him which parts of his game he’s looking to improve upon in coming years.

“Probably just my scoring overall…and my whole offensive game,” responded Black. “I also want to get a little bit stronger, especially in my upper body, so I can absorb some of those bumps and finish through contact.”

While he continues to sharpen his skills, Black will look to meet his rookie season goals.

“I want to be on the first team all-rookie, I want to win a lot of games, and I really want to learn a lot about the league and get accustomed to it,” Black shared. “I feel like if we do that the accolades and stuff will take care of themselves.”

Alongside his blossoming NBA career, Black is already keen on pursuing his other passions and making an impact outside the realm of basketball. He’s a part-owner of Lockerverse, an online platform allowing creators to connect better with their fans.

“I think it really just gives entertainers a good opportunity to engage with fans in a different way and maybe share some of their stories in a different way,” said Black.

Additionally, Black is partnering with global music platform, TIDAL, for their new in-app LIVE feature that makes it easy for subscribers to share music in the moment without physically being together.

“I listen to music 24/7, to be honest,” shared Black. “I think TIDAL [Live] gives a lot of people a chance to see what you’re listening to and kind of actively listen with you.”

When I asked Black which artists he likes to play the most, he emphasized the variety of music he listens to. His taste ranges from RnB singers such as Bryson Tiller and Brent Faiyaz to his pre-game rotation of trap artists like Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and NBA Youngboy.

With Black set to make his professional debut this October, he left me with one last quote, a prediction of what his first NBA bucket will be.

“I think it’ll probably be a floater,” guessed Black.

In his freshman season at Arkansas, he made 21 “runners” per Synergy Sports, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Black open his career with one. Only time will tell.

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