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Chasen: Former Jayhawk Tarik Black making strides in the NBA as a leader
SCOTT CHASEN @SCHasenKU
ven though he only called Lawrence home for one year, Los Angeles Lakers
big man Tarik Black certainly made his mark at the University. And that mark wasn't just shown on the court — which is where Black started several games only to eventually lose his spot to a talented freshman named Joel Embid.
Instead, Black left his mark on the team through leadership, something often overlooked as class after class of new players comes in, showcasing their unique skill sets and winning over the hearts of the Kansas-faithful with flashes of athleticism, shooting and the occasional "Mailman-style," hand-behind-the-head dunk.
D-League - with the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
But to Black, leadership was part of the skill set, and that is not something that has dropped off as he has spent time in both the NBA — with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers — and NBA
"It's a real pleasure to coach him. He's got a great personality, and I think it shows on the floor," said Casey Owens, Black's D-League coach. "When he's off [the court], he is an outstanding teammate very vocal, incredibly encouraging and supportive." Since getting to the NBA, Black said he feels his game has definitely developed. He was undrafted in 2014, before finding a home on the Houston Rockets. After getting waived later in the season, he was grabbed by the Los Angeles Lakers, where he finished out the year.
With the Lakers, Black averaged more than seven points and six rebounds per game as a rookie. That NBA season, Kentucky product Nerlens Noel was the only other first-year player to put up those numbers. And since that time, Black has only gotten better.
“[My game has matured] a lot. And it's not even just
Freshman center Joel Embib high fives teammate senior forward Tarik Black during the game on Friday, Nov. 23 in Allen Fieldhouse where Kansas defeated Towson, 88-58.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
STEVE WILSON/AP PHOTO
STEVE WILSON/AP PHOTO Los Angeles Lakers center Tarik Black (28) dunks the ball late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Jan. 16 in Salt Lake City. The Jazz won 109-82.
my game. It's my mentality toward the game," Black said. "How confident I am and the way I play nowadays — I've matured a lot." As to what specifically Black has done to develop, he talked about slowing himself down and maturing as a player. That's a part of the reason he's been fairly successful in the NBA, at least for a player who spent four years at the college level. However, off the court, there's something else that has helped him stick around in the league and something that helped him earn a shot in the first place: Leadership.
"I have this leadership quality that, whether I'm older or younger than you, [I'll try to] motivate you and push you to be the best you can be," Black said. "That's me naturally. Whether I'm with [the D-Fenders] or I'm with the Lakers — even when I was with Houston — I'm just that type of person."
Black is one of the most intelligent basketball players in the league. Like LeBron James, he can recall statistics and plays from games that happened days and, in some cases, weeks earlier — though that's where the comparisons between the two players end.
But with Black, it isn't just basketball knowledge. Black was able to transfer from the University of Memphis to Kansas without sitting out a year because he had completed his undergraduate degree by the time his fourth and final year of eligibility began.
And after spending a year at Kansas, Black has returned to Lawrence, taking some classes over the summer. He plans on getting his master's degree from the University, which would make him one of the few professional athletes — let alone professional athletes under 25 — with that distinction.
Few are wired like Tarik Black. Few get to the point where he is and still want to keep learning, but that's who he is. That's what makes him different.
Black and his coach aren't the only ones noticing his intelligence and vocal leadership. Black's teammates feel the same way.
"He's always talking to guys, trying to figure things out during the game and trying to communicate," Los Angeles Lakers forward Ryan Kelly said. "That's one of his best attributes."
Kelly and Owens reiterated and complimented Black's professionalism in bouncing between the NBA and D-League, something many players have struggled with. However, Black didn't take too much credit for that. Instead, he said he really didn't see too much of an adjustment in fitting in.
"It doesn't take me any time at all. I feel like my back and forth - my swing - has been pretty fluent," Black said.
"Basketball is basketball... As long as it's still a 10-foot hoop and 94 feet of floor, I'm good."
Basketball is basketball.
Basketball is basketball.
As complex as the game can seem at times, Black seems to have his side of it figured out. Odds are, he's not going to become the next Charles Barkley, Wes Unseld or "even" Zach Randolph — or whichever name of a great, undersized big man you care to throw out.
But that doesn't mean he isn't valuable, especially in how professional he's been embracing his role, which dates back to college.
Black began his lone season at Kansas as a starter, but he would not retain that role for long. Embiid developed at an unexpected rate, pulling off moves like the "dream shake" in just his 10th game at the college level. And since
Black has moved on, that rapid development hasn't quite materialized for Kansas with the freshmen big men that have joined the program.
Last year, a freshman Cliff Alexander struggled to get things figured out, as it seemed Kansas coach Bill Self never really got to the point where he was comfortable playing him for extended stretches.
Meanwhile, nearly half way through this college basketball season, freshman Cheick Diallo is still trying to earn playing time in a fairly deep Kansas frontcourt, though Diallo is much more raw than Alexander was as a freshman.
Still, Embiid definitely deserves a lot of credit for separating himself so quickly, but Black's presence almost certainly had an effect on him as well. After all, assistant coach Norm Roberts told Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star that Black was the "best teammate ever."
Later, Byron Scott, the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, referred to Black as very intelligent, while noting he has the ability to elevate the play of everyone else on the court, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
It's very possible — quite likely in fact — that Black's level of intelligence and intensity, especially in practice, was something that pushed Embid to reach the heights he did.
After all, despite injury concerns, Embiid was selected third in the 2014 NBA Draft, falling behind one of his Kansas teammates in Andrew Wiggins, in addition to another freshman phenom in Jabari Parker, something no one expected of Embiid coming into the year.
Embiid was supposed to be a two-year project, and really, that was an optimistic view. Instead, he became a presence on both sides of the court, which led some, including CBS Sports Zach Harper, to suggest he should even be selected with the top pick in the draft.
Simply put, Embiid deserves a huge amount of credit for his own development. He put in the work to get better, and it really started to click for him. However, one would have to imagine his path would be a little bit different without Black working with and facing off against him in practice every day.
And for that, the next step for Black seems pretty logical. After Black's playing career wraps up, it seems like a coaching position would suit him nicely. After all, "the best teammate ever" couldn't really be a detriment to a coaching staff.
However, for the foreseeable future, that's not Black's plan.
"I don't ever see myself coaching. I know I can definitely be a great coach though," Black said. "There are just some other things I want to get involved with."
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