Rutgers' Steve Pikiell shuts down doubters with fiery Ace Bailey message

The last few days have been quite eventful for Ace Bailey and his camp, marked by draft demands, drama, and plenty of unanswered questions. Bailey’s agent reportedly advised him not to work out with teams and even went so far as to warn franchises not to draft him, threatening that Bailey wouldn’t report if they did.

“Leading up to the NBA draft, Ace Bailey's representatives informed a team drafting inside the top five they didn't want that team to select the Rutgers wing, and that he wouldn't report if they did, sources told ESPN,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps reported.

Bailey received considerable backlash for this stance, but it’s worth noting that one of the greatest players in the game faced a similar situation during his own draft.

“Ace Bailey story reminds me about Stephen Curry‘s father and agent asking the Warriors not to draft him in 2009 with the seventh pick so he could go to the Knicks with the next pick. Steph also didn’t workout for Warriors. Undeterred Warriors GM Larry Riley drafted Steph anyway,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears wrote.

Despite the controversy, Bailey insists he never intended to avoid reporting to the Utah Jazz.

“No. Not at all," Bailey said. "Just blessed to be in the position I am. Not a lot of people can sit in these chairs, and have great teammates that came on with me. So, I'm just blessed to be here."

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His former head coach, Steve Pikiell, also spoke highly of Bailey, helping to quiet the surrounding drama with a powerful endorsement.

"In my 35 years of coaching I have never coached a player who brings energy and enthusiasm to the game of basketball like Ace Bailey. I call Ace an energy-giver. When he steps onto the basketball court his energy is immediately felt by both his teammates and his coaches. Ace was an absolute joy to coach. I wish I could've coached him another few years. The Jazz are getting the ultimate teammate and competitor,” Pikiell said.

Pikiell’s comments help dispel any lingering doubts about Bailey’s character. Despite a turbulent start, Bailey appears poised for a promising NBA career, and the situation now seems to be settling down.