Random Pacer – Damon Bailey

Damon Bailey was the poster child for Indiana Basketball in the early 90’s. He was the movie “Hoosiers” rolled up into a small scoring point guard. He had moderate success at Indiana University and was even recruited to play when he was in the 8th grade. He was the O.J. Mayo and Lebron James of the earlier days. He wasn’t much of an athlete, but he was a fierce competitor. He was too small for the NBA and teams worried about his productivity at the next level. The Pacers took a chance on him with the #44 pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. The Pacers could have taken Voshon Lenard with this pick, but they played to the crowd and picked the hometown star.

Bailey’s NBA career is what MLB players call “a cup of coffee,” actually decaf. He spent the first year on the injured list and ended up getting cut the next season during pre-season. He never appeared in an official NBA game, which was a disappointment for all the Indiana fans who were rooting for him. He ended up playing in the CBA with the Fort Wayne Fury, but finally called it quits and set up basketball camps for youth. He ended up coaching his high school alma mater, Bedford North Lawrence High School, but didn’t fair well, he resigned a few years later.

I remember watching Damon Bailey in college, he was just a little energetic pistol. He had a fantastic shot and really ran the floor well. This was the Big Ten at that time, they didn’t produce many stars in that period. Everyone was rooting for Bailey to make the Pacers, but unfortunately they had to cut him. I hope he’s doing well, I’m sure he still gets free dinners around the Indianapolis area.

Tags: damon bailey, voshon lenard