Beckham Black was just ten years old when he met David Peavy. Fast forward to the present, and Peavy is now Black’s current coach and stepfather. Last year they won a state championship together at Duncanville High School in Texas and now have their eyes set on doing the same at Southeastern Prep in Orlando Fla.
Beckham’s decision to transfer came down to family and the competition level.
“My brother’s in Florida, right down the street from me, ” Black said. “We have a pretty good team over here. Being able to play at a higher competition throughout the whole year, and my stepdad. Those are the main three.”
Beckham’s brother is NBA player Anthony Black, who’s in his third season with the Orlando Magic. The older brother was drafted sixth overall in 2023 and is averaging 15.9 points and 1.1 steals while shooting from three.
Anthony’s game has transferred down to Beckham as seen in today’s 67-60 loss against the Newman School at the Panini Hoophall Classic. Beckham scored 19 points while going 4-9 from three and dishing out 10 assists.
“I started playing basketball when I was five or six,” Beckham said. “What inspired me was being at a lot of my brother’s stuff when I was really young. All the hard work he’s put in and the sacrifices he’s made to be at where he’s at today.”
The biggest piece of advice Anthony gave Beckham was the importance of chemistry.
“Be a good teammate,” Beckham said. “That goes a long way. Even in the NBA people are on contracts just for being good teammates. So just always be a good teammate and never think you’re too good to be a good teammate and a good person.”
When Beckham was in Texas, seeing his brother was difficult. Now that they’re only twelve minutes away from each other, spending time with each other is no longer a hassle. The two go to each other’s games and like to golf together.
With Southeastern Prep, Beckham is averaging 17.3 points and eight assists. Beckham is currently uncommitted and isn’t in a rush, more focused on building good relationships with coaches. To prepare himself for collegiate basketball, the 6’3 guard put in the work to improve the mental aspect of his game.
“I feel like I see the game a little faster than the other team on the defensive side,” Beckham said. “So if I can see what the defense is going to do, I can adjust the offense to make sure we score.”
Peavy and Beckham have been living together for seven years, living in Coppell before moving to Duncanville. Seeing how much Beckham has grown since first meeting him has been incredible for Peavy.
“It’s been amazing,” Peavy said. “He was a tiny little dude that shot up all the shots and to watch him become the point guard that he is today. We saw it happening and knew he was going to special about four years ago. It’s fun watching him.”