Magic guard is focused on team success over individual awards

Anthony Black is having a breakout season, yet says team success matters more

Jan 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) brings the ball up court against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Anthony Black is in the midst of a breakout season.

Averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists on the year, Black's numbers have only improved as the season goes on.

Over his last 12 games, mostly filling in as a spot-starter for Franz Wagner, Black's numbers are up to 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals+blocks per game while shooting 39% 3P% and getting up 6 threes per game.

This stretch includes a bonkers performance scoring a career-high 38 points on 7 made three-pointers, highlighting AB's ability to pop off

His downhill decisiveness has been instrumental for Orlando, driving with much more assertiveness, handling with more confidence, and finishing with more aggression.

Black has been asked to fill a variety of roles for this Magic team, and he's thrived in them all.

Anthony Black Values Team Success Over Individual Awards

Anthony Black's name has been thrown in the race for both NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player.

AB's odds of winning has actually moved up on oddsbooks to become the 3rd favorite for NBA Sixth Man of the Year and have the 6th-best odds of Most Improved Player, via Bet MGM.

If you believed in AB before the season, you would have cashed in on quite the difference in odds, as his chances of winning according to Vegas have moved the line for Sixth Man of the Year from +8000 to +700 and for Most Improved Player from +25000 to +3000.

His competition for Most Improved Player is a deep fierce race between Trail Blazers Forward Deni Avdija, Hawks Forward Jalen Johnson and Guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jazz Guard Keyonte George, Bucks Guard Ryan Rollins, Nets Forward Michael Porter Jr., and Pistons Big Jalen Duren.

The Sixth Man of the Year is a little more wide open, between Minnesota Big Naz Reid, Heat Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., Spurs guard Keldon Johnson, ad Rockets Guard Reed Sheppard posing as Black's main challengers.

I asked Anthony Black what it would mean to him if the NBA recognized him with an award for his leap in development this season.

Do any of these awards become personal goals for AB once they become a little more within reach?

Anthony Black says team success is more important to him, but any NBA award would be an honor:

Anthony Black on individual awards like Sixth Man of the Year & Most Improved Player

“Obviously, it would be an honor to win any award in the NBA, so it's definitely something that would be cool…

But at the end of the day, it's just about overall success, playoff team success” pic.twitter.com/hw8Ik5LpPr

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) January 9, 2026

A lot of things that go into that, so, I kinda realized that some of those things are not always in your control.

So I am just trying to do a good job of staying where my feet are.

Obviously, it would be an honor to win any award in the NBA, so it is definitely something that would be cool, and something I will keep trying to keep playing well to get.

But at the end of the day, it is just about overall success, playoff team success, and stuff like that.

It would be nice, but it's a lot that goes into it.

Anthony Black