Magic's Anthony Black Impressing With Growth As A Leader

Orlando Magic's second-year guard Anthony Black has made strides in leading the team after his rookie season.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) dunks the ball against the Washington Wizards in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

For many, the summer league is either an opportunity for a rookie to get their feet wet in the NBA or more tenured players to impress enough to earn a roster spot next season.

For others, it's an opportunity to set the foundation that elevates their game to another level. Anthony Black played in just two games for the Orlando Magic in the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas, but the results were promising for the second-year guard.

Beyond Black's play on the court, Magic summer league coach Lionel Chalmers was pleased with the growth he saw from the 2023 first-round pick in leading the team.

"I've seen growth in his leadership," Chalmers said on Saturday. "His voice is getting more boisterous and he's taking command. There was moments in the game where he took it upon himself to be responsible for things and I think he did a great job with that."

Black dazzled in the Magic's opening game of the summer league, scoring 20 points with three assists and four steals in a 106-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 12. The 6-foot-7 guard made 6 of his 9 shots, including one 3-pointer, and was 7 of 9 on his free throw attempts.

In his second and last outing of the summer league, Black only scored five points, but he chalked up six assists. Despite not having the most prolific performance offensively, the two shots Black made each came in the fourth quarter, tying the game 73-73 and extending Orlando's lead to seven with just over a minute to play.

Black has missed the Magic's last two games due to ankle soreness.

Black's ability to earn more playing time next season will depend on his improvement from his rookie year. Even with the small sample size against lesser opposition, Black's growth as a leader is a promising sign for a budding player with his sights on a larger role for a team coming off of a playoff appearance.

Orlando rounds out its summer league slate on Sunday when it faces the Minnesota Timberwolves at 3 p.m. ET at the Cox Pavilion.

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