Ace Bailey, one of the top projected picks entering the 2025 NBA Draft, was once left with a decision to make between two sports. Bailey was reportedly a multi-sport athlete growing up, with many close to him believing he could’ve pursued baseball seriously had he wished to.
However, as we all know, he chose to go with basketball, as he committed to join Rutgers to play college basketball. Last season in 30 games, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Ahead of the much-anticipated draft on Wednesday, Bailey spoke with NBA, disclosing his reason for prioritizing basketball over baseball.
“I fell in love with the game — not just for what it could do for me, but also for my family,” Bailey said. “From traveling and seeing the world to doing things that most people couldn’t do at a young age — all because of basketball — I just fell in love with that. And also the grind, the sweat, and the performances I was giving off… I just fell in love with all of it.”
It also helps to know that his family has a lot of basketball players in it. His mother, Ramika McGee, played for West Virginia University. Meanwhile, his father, Richard Bailey, played college basketball at Houston. Moreover, her aunt, Venus Lacy, even made all the way to the WNBA and was member of the 1996 Olympic team which won the gold medal.
Ace Bailey Falls to No. 6 On Latest Mock Draft
A couple of weeks ago, Ace Bailey was seen as the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. However, a lot has changed between now and then. According to CBS Sports, Bailey canceled or declined meetings with the Philadelphia 76ers (pick No. 3), the Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) and Utah Jazz (No. 5).
One reason for this to happen might have to do with the fact that Bailey’s camp doesn’t want him to go in the above mentioned teams and is rather pacing for him to be drafted by the Washington Wizards, who holds the No. 6 pick. Behind Washington is New Orleans and then Brooklyn in the draft order.
Amid this, Bailey set the record straight that he’s just focused on basketball.
“I’m just working on basketball, that’s all I’m focused on,” Bailey said during pre-draft media availability in New York on Tuesday. “I can only control what I can control, you can think what you think… I’m focused on basketball.”
Meanwhile, NBA star Paul George feels Bailey should not get mad if his draft spot slips, given that he has declined workout invites.
“I mean, I think if I’m Ace Bailey I can’t get mad if my stock drops,” George said on his podcast. “He’s canceled all workouts. Like he hasn’t worked out for any team. So, I think they made a big deal because we were scheduled to work him out and he canceled the day of. But he hasn’t worked out for any team. But you’re not in a position to be making those demands. Make it to the league first.”
However, CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone said:
“I don’t think he’s completely out of play for any of the teams at 3, 4 or 5. We’ve seen teams pick players before who didn’t work out or meet with them. But given the momentum of this situation, my prediction is that he slips out of the top five entirely and lands at No. 6 with Washington.”
Bailey, who earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors following his stellar freshman season at Rutgers, brings elite scoring and length to the wing position.
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