A 21-year-old former NBA player, Amari Bailey, is attempting to return to college basketball. Unlike players such as Charles Bediako, James Nnaji, and Abdullah Ahmed, Bailey didn’t just spend time around the NBA. He actually played in real NBA games, 10 of them, to be exact. In his final appearance, he posted an impressive stat line of 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Bailey was an uber-talented five-star recruit out of California, ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s Top 100. He attended Sierra Canyon High School, where he played alongside Bronny James, before choosing to stay local and suit up for UCLA during the 2022–23 season. In his one-and-done year with the Bruins, Bailey averaged 11.2 points per game on 49.5% shooting, which helped lead to his selection at No. 41 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Speaking to ESPN, Bailey said, “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?” Give me a break. You don’t need to cover it up; just say you want the NIL bag and leave it at that.

According to ESPN, Bailey is scheduled to visit Grand Canyon University on Wednesday as he begins what could become a “college career 2.0.” If he somehow receives NCAA clearance, it would represent a massive shift for the sport, effectively signaling that a player can appear in NBA games, and still return to college basketball.

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