Former UCLA guard Amari Bailey is trying to become the first player ever to suit up for a college basketball team after playing in the NBA.
Bailey declared for the NBA after his freshman season at UCLA in 2023. The 6’3″ guard, then a fresh-faced 19-year-old, was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2023 draft. He went on to play 10 games in his rookie season before bouncing around in the G League since then.
Several reporters confirmed Friday that Bailey was making a bid to regain one more year of college eligibility. According to a report by ESPN’s Dan Murphy, Bailey has hired an agent and a lawyer to make his case.
“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So, like, why not me?”
Bailey was likely inspired by a couple of recent names who had successfully returned to college after declaring for the NBA draft. Charles Bediako got to suit up for Alabama last week after serving as a two-way player for the San Antonio Spurs. James Nnaji successfully joined Baylor earlier this season after being drafted 10 spots ahead of Bailey in 2023.
The difference, however, is that neither Bediako nor Nnaji took the court in the NBA. On the other hand, Bailey made his NBA debut against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2023, and went on to play in 10 games for the Hornets that season. One of the greatest moments of Bailey’s life will be the biggest hurdle in his pursuit to return to college.
While the ruling on Bailey’s bid remains up in the air, it’s hard to imagine it being granted. Allowing Bailey to return after being a fully fledged NBA player may open a can of worms that the NCAA isn’t ready to deal with just yet. But with the ever-changing college athletics landscape these days, you can never tell.
