Aaron Black (basketball) facts for kids

Norman Aaron Black (born December 3, 1996) is a professional basketball player from the Philippines and the United States. He plays for the Meralco Bolts team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In 2021, Aaron was named the PBA Outstanding Rookie. His father, Norman Black, was also a famous basketball player and coach for the Meralco Bolts.

Aaron Black's College Basketball Journey

Aaron Black played high school basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets. He then joined the senior team at Ateneo. He did not play in his first college season. Instead, he was a team captain for the Philippine team. They competed in the 2014 FIBA Asia U-18 Championship.

College Debut and Early Games

Aaron made his college debut the next season. He scored 11 points in a game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons. He also scored 13 points in just 13 minutes. This helped Ateneo win their fifth straight game against the De La Salle Green Archers. His team lost in the semifinals that season to the FEU Tamaraws.

Becoming a Key Player

After Season 78 MVP Kiefer Ravena graduated, Aaron became one of Ateneo's top players. In their first game of Season 79, he scored 23 points. This led his team to a win against the UST Growling Tigers.

During a game against FEU, Aaron hurt his left foot. This injury made him miss three weeks of play. He returned in a game against the UE Red Warriors, helping his team win. He scored 16 points to help Ateneo prevent La Salle from winning all their games. For this great effort, he was named Player of the Week. Ateneo later lost to La Salle in the Finals.

Winning Championships

In Seasons 80 and 81, Aaron's statistics changed under Coach Tab Baldwin. However, he was still a very important player for the team. Ateneo won two championships in a row during these seasons. Aaron decided not to play his final year of college basketball.

Aaron Black's Professional Basketball Career

Starting with Quezon City Capitals (2019)

After college, Aaron played for the Quezon City Capitals. This team is part of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. In one game, he achieved a triple-double. He scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and made 10 assists. This helped his team win against the Binan City Laguna Heroes. Aaron averaged 11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 14 games for Quezon City.

Playing for AMA Online Education Titans (2019)

In 2019, Aaron also played for the AMA Online Education Titans. This was in the semi-professional PBA D-League Foundation Cup. In his first game, he had 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. In their first win, he got 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists. This made him only the third player in the league's history to have multiple triple-doubles. He had another triple-double with 45 points, 18 assists, and 12 rebounds. This helped AMA reach the quarterfinals.

Moving to Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines (2019–2020)

Aaron was later traded to the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines team. There, he became teammates with Alvin Pasaol, who would also join him later on the Meralco Bolts.

Joining the Meralco Bolts (2020–present)

Rookie Season (2020)

In the 2019 PBA Draft, the Meralco Bolts picked Aaron as the 18th player overall. His father, Norman Black, was the coach of the Meralco Bolts. Aaron became one of the few PBA players to be coached by their own father.

In the Bolts' first win, he scored 8 points, with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. He scored 16 points in an overtime win against the Magnolia Hotshots. He was named Rookie of the Week as Meralco started the year with a 3–1 record. They finished the season 7–4 and made it to the playoffs.

In Game 1 of the playoffs, Aaron scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. Meralco beat the San Miguel Beermen, forcing a deciding game. This performance earned him another Rookie of the Week award. Meralco won the next game, reaching the semifinals. In the semifinals, they lost to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Aaron finished the season by winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named to the All-Rookie Team.

First Finals Appearance (2021)

In a 2021 Philippine Cup game, Aaron scored 14 points against the Beermen. He later hurt his hand during a game. He returned almost a month later during the playoffs. Meralco reached the semifinals but was eliminated by Magnolia.

In a 2021 Governors' Cup game, he scored 19 points against the NLEX Road Warriors. They faced Magnolia again in the semifinals. In Game 1, he had 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a win. In Game 5, he stepped up with 16 points, helping Meralco beat Magnolia. This sent them to the Finals against Ginebra.

In his Finals debut, Aaron scored 12 points as Meralco won the first game. He then scored 24 points in the next game, but Ginebra won. In Game 5, he scored a season-high 25 points. However, Ginebra won that game and the next, becoming the champions.

2022–23 Season Highlights

On May 24, 2022, Aaron signed a new two-year contract with the Meralco Bolts. To start the 2022–23 season, he scored 19 points in a win. He then tied his career-high with 25 points in another win. He missed the next game due to a wrist injury.

When he returned, he scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and made seven assists. This helped Meralco win against the NorthPort Batang Pier. In a win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, he scored 20 points, including a crucial three-point shot. Meralco finished the 2022 Philippine Cup with a 7–4 record.

In Game 1 of their quarterfinals series against Ginebra, Aaron led with 25 points as they won. Meralco finally beat Ginebra in a series. In Game 4 of their semifinals against the Beermen, he led with 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. This tied the series. In Game 6, he scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter. He also had five rebounds and six assists, forcing a deciding Game 7. However, they lost Game 7 and were out of the championship race.

Meralco started the Commissioner's Cup with two losses. They got their first win against Terrafirma, with Aaron scoring 17 points. He later missed some games in the Governors' Cup due to a knee injury. In a win, he contributed 19 points, three rebounds, and seven assists. He also had 21 points and eight rebounds in a loss.

During the PBA All-Star Week, Aaron took part in the Three-Point shootout. He also played in the Greats vs Stalwarts game. In the quarterfinals, he scored 16 points and made a buzzer-beating shot. This sent the game into overtime, where Meralco won. In Game 2 of their semifinals, he led Meralco to a win with career-highs of 28 points and 10 assists. However, Meralco was eventually eliminated in that series.

National Team Experience

Aaron Black was a team captain for the Philippine team. He played in the 2014 FIBA Asia U-18 Championship. He also played for Mighty Sports in the 2019 William Jones Cup. In 2023, he was part of the training group for the SEA Games.

Aaron Black's Personal Life

Aaron's father, Norman Black, was also a coach for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Aaron has an older sister named Dominique, who is a lawyer. He has a girlfriend, Alexandrea Enciso.