Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Tarik Black never needed plays called for him to leave his mark, because his best possessions usually started with a hard screen, a timely rotation, or a rebound wrestled away in traffic. Strong through contact and willing to embrace the physical side of the game, the veteran big man carved out minutes by protecting the paint, finishing around the rim, and consistently making life easier for the teammates around him.

Here’s the detailed information on Tarik Black:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Tarik Bernard Black
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born November 22, 1991
  • Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
  • Height: 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m)
  • Weight: 250 lbs (113 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m)
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Number: Wore #28, #10, and #12 during his NBA career
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Ridgeway High School, Memphis, Tennessee
  • College:
    • University of Memphis (2010–2013)
    • University of Kansas (2013–2014)
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft
  • Teams Played For:
    • Houston Rockets (2014–2015, 2017–2018)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2017)
    • Maccabi Tel Aviv (2018–2020, Israeli Basketball Premier League)
    • Zenit Saint Petersburg (2021, Russian VTB League)
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: One son, Nash Black
  • Siblings: Two brothers, Amal Black and Bilal Black

Player Archetype / Play Style

Tarik Black’s player archetype was that of an energy big and interior role player: a rugged, physical frontcourt piece who made his living as a screener, rim runner, offensive rebounder, and hustle finisher rather than a self-creator. Defensively, he fit best as a paint-based helper who used strength, motor, and toughness to battle on the glass, absorb contact, and hold his ground against bigger bodies around the rim. Offensively, his role was narrow but useful—set hard picks, dive to the basket, finish close chances, and keep possessions alive with second-effort work. At 6’9″ and roughly 250 pounds, with a sturdy frame and long arms, Black played with a bruising style that leaned more on force and activity than finesse, giving him the profile of a high-energy backup big who could stabilize the dirty-work areas of a lineup. (NBA)

Scouting Report

Tarik Black’s game was built around accepting the dirty work that lets everyone else operate in space. He rarely hunted touches, but he had a knack for arriving exactly where a possession needed him—setting a screen with real contact instead of slipping it early, sealing a defender just long enough to open a driving lane, or creating a second chance by carving out inside position before the shot even left the shooter’s hand. The first thing you notice is how little wasted movement there is. His offensive value came from rim runs, duck-ins after early offence and short-roll finishes rather than trying to expand into plays that didn’t suit him. When he caught the ball outside the paint, he generally kept it moving unless there was a clear path to the rim, and that discipline prevented possessions from stalling. Defensively, he was at his best anchoring conservative coverages where he could absorb contact, meet ball handlers outside the restricted area and recover to challenge without chasing unnecessary blocks. He understood when to show his body on the roll and when to retreat instead of overcommitting, although quicker lineups that forced repeated switches into space could expose his foot speed over multiple actions. It’s easy to overlook how much of his rebounding came before the ball reached the rim. He consistently established leverage early, steering opponents underneath the basket and giving himself cleaner angles to the ball rather than relying on sheer vertical explosion. The trade-off was that his offensive ceiling remained fairly narrow because defenders were comfortable helping off him away from the basket, shrinking driving lanes and daring him to create outside his comfort zone. Put him alongside dynamic guards who thrive in pick-and-rolls and wings who constantly cut around screening actions, and his value becomes much easier to appreciate. His style shares elements with Kosta Koufos and Joel Anthony—physical interior play, dependable screening and an understanding that controlling possessions often starts with the work that never appears in the box score.

Sources:
NBA.com — Tarik Black | Forward-Center | Los Angeles Lakers
Bleacher Report — Top Undrafted NBA Rookies Who Can Make an Impact During 2014-15 Season
Bleacher Report — Why Robert Sacre Could Be the Los Angeles Lakers’ Unlikeliest Trade Candidate