Ace Bailey reveals the moment he realized making it to the NBA was truly possible (Video)

Ace Bailey is one of the top names in the 2025 NBA draft, and he recently shared the moment he realized he could compete at the next level. In a clip from “The Deep 3” podcast on Friday, Bailey recalled the high school tournament performance that convinced him he belonged among elite prospects.

“I played against SFG, Strive for Greatness,” Bailey said. “They had Marietta and then blocked Bryce, came down, and dunked on (his) teammates, and it was like everything was getting easy — getting to the rim and making the right shots.

“After that, I wouldn’t even say that game … but I actually have a moment that I kind of called like, ‘OK, he’s nice, OK, he’s nice, I can see this.’ I guess after that game, more people came to watch the next game. I played against Quavo’s team, and it was the same thing. I guess that tournament just showed it out; it was just like, ‘OK, he’s actually nice.”

Bailey played for Rutgers last season and showcased his scoring instincts, athleticism and versatility. Heading into the draft, he is considered a top three pick.

The draft will be on June 25 and 26 at Barclays Center in New York. Bailey will be looking to go as high as No. 2, with fellow Rutgers star Dylan Harper standing in his way.

Philadelphia 76ers projected to select Ace Bailey

After a poor 2024-25 season, the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to build a solid roster for next season. They own the No. 3 pick and have several prospects they could select.

In Bleacher Report’s mock draft, they were projected to select Ace Bailey, as he offers top-level shotmaking.

The guard averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his lone season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. However, there are question marks around his playmaking, as he only recorded 1.3 assists per game.

About the author

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alt=”Babatunde Kolawole” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole’s favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole’s favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez