Former UCLA star Amari Bailey, who appeared in 10 NBA games with the Charlotte Hornets, has hired a lawyer to petition the NCAA with the hopes of returning to college basketball on one more season of eligibility, according to ESPN. The 21-year-old Bailey spent one season with the Bruins before declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.
“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?”
Bailey was selected by the Hornets in the second round of the draft and logged 10 games as a rookie on a two-way contract. In that span, he averaged 2.3 points on 33.3% shooting from the field.
He signed with the Brooklyn Nets in September 2024 and eventually joined the Long Island Nets of the NBA’s G League. Bailey most recently spent time with the Iowa Wolves, the G League affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
No basketball player has ever returned to college after playing in an NBA game.
“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract,” NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley told ESPN. “Congress can strengthen NCAA rules so professional athletes cannot sue their way back to competing against college students.”
Bailey’s case will be the latest test of NCAA eligibility as several former players seek a return to the collegiate level. Alabama’s Charles Bediako was recently allowed to return to the Crimson Tide after spending three years with various G League teams.
Bediako initially played at Alabama from 2021-23 before declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted. He has since appeared in games with the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold and Motor City Cruise.
A key point in Bediako’s argument for eligibility is that he is within the NCAA’s five-year window for eligibility. The clock started when he enrolled at Alabama as a freshman in the 2021-22 season, and the 2025-26 season marks Year 5 on his clock. Bediako’s representation argues that, since Bediako never appeared in an actual NBA game, he should be allowed to return for a fifth year of eligibility.
Bediako has already appeared in two games for Alabama this season. He played 25 minutes and scored 13 points in a loss to Tennessee and appeared for 18 minutes with 14 points in a win against Missouri.
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