Justin Bailey (born June 10, 1977) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

before playing overseas for 13 years as a professional in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Russia.

High school career

Bailey was born in

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Piscataway Piscataway may refer to: *Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States *Piscataway language *Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community *Piscataway, New Jersey, a township *Piscataway Creek, Ma ...

, where he attended

Piscataway Township High School Piscataway High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Piscataway in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the P ...

, leading the school's basketball team to a 23–2 record and a Group IV state championship as a junior in 1993–94.

College career

Bailey began his college career in 1995–96, joining the

Hartford Hawks The Hartford Hawks are the NCAA Division I athletic teams of the University of Hartford, located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Hartford sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The men's and women's tennis teams were ...

as a freshman. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 28 games in his first season, earning himself

North Atlantic Conference The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) is an athletic conference, affiliated with the NCAA ’s Division III, consisting primarily of small liberal arts colleges in the Northern New England states of Maine and Vermont, as well as New York. The conf ...

All-Rookie Team honors. As a sophomore playing for the Hawks in 1996–97, Bailey was considered the team's super-sub after a preseason ankle injury moved him to the bench. In 28 games on the season, Bailey averaged 12.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. As a junior in 1997–98, Bailey earned first-team All-North Atlantic Conference honors after averaging 20.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 27 games. In addition, he led the league in free throw percentage (83.8) and steals (2.19) in 1997–98. As co-captain his senior year in 1998–99, Bailey earned second-team All-

America East Conference The America East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I founded in 1979, whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference has nine core members including eight public research u ...

honors after averaging 20.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 27 games. He scored 1,086 combined points as a junior and senior, and with his 20-point-per-game average both years, he became only the second player to do so in consecutive seasons in the Division I era. He finished his career third all-time in scoring (1,786 points) and is among Hartford's top ten in nine different career statistical categories. Included are the top spot in free throws made (501), free throw percentage (.831) and steals (218). In 2009, Bailey was inducted into Hartford's Athletics Hall of Fame.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1995–96 , style="text-align:left;",

, 28 , , , , , , .441 , , .344 , , .777 , , 3.2 , , 2.5 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1996–97 , style="text-align:left;", Hartford , 28 , , , , , , .473 , , .421 , , .807 , , 3.3 , , 2.5 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;", Hartford , 27 , , , , , , .503 , , .360 , , .838 , , 5.0 , , 3.2 , , 2.2 , , .1 , , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1998–99 , style="text-align:left;", Hartford , 27 , , , , , , .439 , , .324 , , .872 , , 4.4 , , 2.2 , , 2.3 , , .1 , , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 110 , , , , , , .465 , , .362 , , .831 , , 4.0 , , 2.6 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 16.2 , -

Professional career

Europe

Bailey began his professional career in France, playing nine games for Levallois between September 4 and October 23, 1999. Bailey's next stint came during the 2000–01 season in Portugal with Belenenses, where he averaged 26.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. In January 2002, Bailey moved to Italy to play for Sacil HLB Pavia. In 20 games to finish the 2001–02 season, he averaged 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. In March 2005, after a three-year hiatus from basketball, Bailey returned to Portugal to play out the 2004–05 season with

FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...

. He averaged 8.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals in nine regular-season games and 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals in seven playoff games.

Australia and New Zealand

On July 31, 2006, Bailey signed with the

West Sydney Razorbacks The West Sydney Razorbacks (known in its final season as the Sydney Spirit) were an Australian professional basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The club was based in Sydney, New South Wales. They were the s ...

for the

2006–07 NBL season The 2006–07 NBL season was the 29th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. For the first time, a team was established from outside the Australasian area, with the Singapore Slingers taking over the licence of the Hunter Pirates. ...

. During preseason, he suffered a knee strain in a freakish accident on a golf course. He subsequently missed the first two games of the regular season. In late December, he missed a two-game

North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...

road trip due to an ankle injury. He appeared in 29 of the Razorbacks' 33 games in 2006–07, averaging 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 30.9 minutes per game. The Razorbacks finished the season in last place with a 5–28 record. Following the conclusion of the Razorbacks' season, Bailey moved to New Zealand to play for the

Otago Nuggets The Otago Nuggets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Dunedin. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Edgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Night 'n Day Otago ...

in the 2007 New Zealand NBL season. The Nuggets finished last with a 2–16 record, as Bailey appeared in all 18 games, averaging 23.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Mexico, Kazakhstan and Russia

Bailey began the 2007–08 season in Mexico with

Correcaminos UAT Victoria The Correcaminos UAT Victoria (English: ''UAT Victoria Roadrunners'') is a Mexican professional basketball team. It has been a member of the LNBP since the 2000 season. History Correcaminos UAT Victoria was founded in 1995 as a founding membe ...

, but left after four games. He moved to Kazakhstan to play for

Astana Tigers Tigers Astana Basketball Club ( kk, Zholbarystar Astana Basketbol Kluby) or more commonly Astana Tigers ( kk, Astana Zholbarystary) is a Kazakh basketball club based in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2000, the club competed in the Kazakhst ...

and helped the team win the Kazakhstani Cup and the Kazakhstani League championship. They won the League Finals series 3–1, with Bailey scoring 25 points in Game 1 of the best-of-five series. Bailey spent the 2008–09 season in Russia playing for

Sibirtelecom Lokomotiv Novosibirsk Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, commonly known as Sibirtelecom Lokomotiv (russian: Сибирьтелеком-Локомотив) for sponsorships reasons, was a Russian professional basketball club that was based in Novosibirsk Novosibirsk (, also ; ...

, averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals in 18 games.

Second New Zealand stint

Bailey returned to New Zealand for the 2009 NBL season, joining the

Waikato Pistons The Waikato Pistons were a New Zealand basketball team based in Hamilton. The Pistons competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at Hamilton Boys' High School. After sitting out the 2012 NBL season, the Piston ...

. He helped the Pistons reach the NBL Finals, where they defeated the

Nelson Giants The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Trafalgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Mike Pero Nelson ...

2–0 with Bailey earning Finals MVP honors after recording 32 points and six assists in Game 2. He appeared in all 19 games for the Pistons in 2009, averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Sweden

In January 2010, Bailey signed with Swedish team Sundsvall Dragons for the rest of the 2009–10 season. He averaged 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 16 regular-season games and 5.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in four playoff games.

Final season

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, Bailey returned to New Zealand for one final season, this time joining the

Harbour Heat The Harbour Heat were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Heat competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at North Shore Events Centre. Team history The Harbour Heat, then known as North Shore, ...

. He won Player of the Week honors for Round 10 after scoring a season-high 33 points on May 2 against the

Manawatu Jets The Manawatu Jets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Palmerston North. The Jets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Central Energy Trust Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Pro ...

, and 18 points on May 5 also against the Jets. The Heat finished in last place with a 3–13 record. He appeared in all 16 games, averaging 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Post-playing career

In 2016, Bailey returned to New Zealand and was appointed team manager of the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...

. The following year, he played for the

Super City Rangers The Super City Rangers were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Rangers competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games across multiple venues in Auckland. Team history The Waitakere Rangers debut ...

' pre-season squad. He later became a teacher at

Long Bay College Long Bay College is a state co-educational secondary school located in Torbay, a suburb of the North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand. The decile 10 school serves Years 9 to 13, and has students as of Christopher (CJ) Healey is the school's cur ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. In June 2020, Bailey was appointed an assistant coach for the

' 2020 season. He helped guide the Nuggets to the championship. He returned to the Nuggets as an assistant in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

. That same year, he served as an assistant coach with the New Zealand under-18 team.

References

External links