3 Orlando Magic players who could have excelled in another sport

2. Anthony Black

Anthony Black was picked sixth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft for a reason. He is a big guard with incredible talent on the defensive end and exactly the type of player the Orlando Magic tend to like.

Basketball was not even the first sport Black tried as a child, however. Early on, he played baseball and soccer and then also football at Coppell High School and Duncanville High School in Texas. He excelled at every sport he tried, and not surprisingly so. Black's parents were both very athletic as well. His mom played Division 1 soccer in college. His dad played basketball and moved to Germany to play professionally.

Football was the first sport that Anthony Black really stood out in. He received several offers to play Division 1 football in college before he ever got an offer to play basketball. As outlined in this great article by CBS Sports, basketball was Black's true love, though. As soon as he knew that he would be able to play basketball at the next level, he dropped football.

Still, Black could have had a bright future as a football player. His first season in the league didn't offer much playing time yet, but Black's time to impress on the NBA is coming. He has already shown great growth in Summer League.