CONCORD — Cabarrus County will again be alive and well during the NBA Summer League this year.
Specifically, for what is considered the hometown team.
The Charlotte Hornets will feature two players from Cabarrus this summer, a pair of Cox Mill graduates: Leaky Black, who spent last season with the Hornets, and Matt Morgan, who recently starred in the British Basketball League.
The Hornets begin in the California Classic Summer League tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, who feature rookie first-round pick Stephon Castle. Game time is 8:30 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast on NBA TV.
Black also spent two of his high school seasons as a standout at Concord High School before going to a Florida school for his junior year and Cox Mill his senior year. He helped the Chargers win a state title in his final prep season, 2017-18, when he teamed with current Detroit Piston Wendell Moore Jr.
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Black, 25, was picked up as an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Carolina last year and played Summer League with the Hornets, with whom he signed a two-way contract, meaning he could spend time with the NBA club and the team’s G League squad, the Greensboro Swarm. He then spent much of his rookie season with the Hornets.
Last year with the Hornets, Black played in 26 games, starting three. He had averages of 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds.
Because of the NCAA’s COVID exception, Black played five seasons at North Carolina, and by the time he was done in Chapel Hill he had become the first player in Tar Heels history to record 600 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks during his career.
Morgan has been a star overseas since graduating from Cornell, where he finished his college career as the Ivy League’s second all-time leading scorer behind only Bill Bradley.
Last season, for example, the 26-year-old Morgan was flat-out remarkable in the French LNB Pro A League, where he led Le Mans to a playoff berth and received All-Jeep Élite League First-Team honors. He finished third in the race for the league’s top scorer with 20.7 points per game and was a finalist for the MVP award, along with future No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama.
Morgan has had three previous stints in the NBA Summer League, twice with the Toronto Raptors and last year with the Los Angeles Clippers. He also spent two years in the G League with the Toronto organization.
Morgan, a sharpshooting 6-2 guard, made his mark during his time at Cox Mill, leading the Chargers to a share of the conference title during his senior year. When he graduated, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer, but that record has since been shattered by Moore.
In addition to tonight, the Hornets play Sunday against the Chinese National team (8 p.m. on ESPN2) and Tuesday vs. the Sacramento Kings (10 p.m. on NBA TV).
The Hornets begin play in the Las Vegas NBA2K25 Summer League on Saturday, July 13, against the New York Knicks (5 p.m. on ESPN2).