The Joy of Ace Bailey: An Intangible That Can't Be Overlooked

Rutgers fans got a taste of Ace Bailey's boyish wonder at a Scarlet Knights football game last September, as he stood in the endzone, tossing bowls to the acrobatic performer, Red Panda, who effortlessly caught them on her seven-foot unicycle. She then set them on her feet to kick upwards. As the last bowl settled securely onto the stack on Red Panda's head, Ace turned to the camera with a look of amazement that anyone who's parented little kids could easily discern.

Bailey enters the 2025 draft as one of the most polarizing players, most recently skipping a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the No. 3 pick in the draft. He has yet to work out in front of an NBA team, suggesting either he doesn't care about the draft or that he has a preferred team in mind.

Ace Bailey declined a workout with the 76ers...his draft stock is falling, but it might be on purpose 👀

"There's a handshake deal in place behind the scenes somewhere...he's okay with the narrative he doesn't want to workout." - @TeamLou23 @MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/14Bspjb5IS
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 19, 2025

Bailey was regarded as a consensus top-three pick, with Cooper Flagg going No. 1 in the NBA draft as a foregone conclusion. Bailey and fellow Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper are projected to go in the second and third spots, but as questions mount about his work ethic and drive, Bailey's draft stock continues to slide.

Bailey starred at Rutgers this past season as a true freshman, with 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, but was unable to consistently put the team on his back with fellow phenom Dylan Harper and will them to victory against senior-laden conference opponents. Despite the disappointing season, one thing never wavered - Bailey's positivity and enthusiasm.

Loss after disappointing loss, Ace sat at the podium with head coach Steve Pikiell, answering reporters' questions lightheartedly, often resulting in some fans thinking he didn't care. This is who he is, though - an eighteen-year-old kid, not a grizzled veteran, who hasn't yet been ground down by life and learned to hide his joy in front of the cynical cameras. Happiness, after all, is often perceived as a negative trait following a loss in the must-win, results-now world of college and pro sports.

Despite Bailey's draft stock falling, a team will certainly draft him in the first round, likely very high. In Ace Bailey, they will be getting a player with a very high ceiling, one who can create his own shot anywhere on the court, and one who infuses energy into those around him. Sports cynics may regard positivity as a negative. Still, the science is precise: Positivity leads to increased confidence, motivation, and longevity, with a Johns Hopkins report by expert Lisa R. Yanek even noting that it's good for heart health.

Bailey's Rutgers teammates were sometimes frustrated with his shot selection and inability to find the open man. Still, it was noted that they embraced him as a leader and leaned into the spark he provided. This polarizing aspect of Bailey likely won't change in the NBA. However, it's more likely than not that the pure joy that accompanies Bailey's unlimited talent will offset the negatives, and his NBA teammates and fans will quickly grow to embrace his boyish enthusiasm.

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