Growing up, C.J. Black had always aspired to be viewed as one of the all-time greats of the Chattanooga basketball scene.
He wanted to be discussed in the same realm as Venus Lacy, Orlando Lightfoot and Reggie White. Mentioned in the same sentence as Tshombe High, Malcolm Mackey or Keith Rawls.
Those people he specifically listed had set the standard for him, and he wanted to continue it.
Black certainly had the accolades as a kid, but there was a problem: During his middle school days, every time he was mentioned in the newspaper, he was referred to as “C.J. Block.” It was an honest mistake by that particular reporter, but it kept happening and it frustrated Black, so he spoke with legendary Orchard Knob Middle School coach Ed Thacker about it.
Thacker assured Black he had written the name down for the reporter, who “just had to copy and paste it.”