In the university sports revolution that has been experienced these last two years, with the NCAA allowing the economic exploitation of players as a brand (NIL, acronym for Name, Image, Likeness; in Spanish, image rights), the most groundbreaking thing becomes obsolete some time later. Young people – and not so young, that’s one of the keys – are eager to go to the United States to show their skills and, in the process, fill their coffers even before they embraced basketball as a profession.
The bubble of this competition grows and grows. Contracts with companies that ensure millions are the order of the day and everyone wants their piece of the pie. That has led to seeing Dantesque situations. For example: Last Christmas, a player trained in Spain came to the fore, the Nigerian James Nnaji, who signed for Baylor; It would be normal if we were not talking about a 21-year-old boy who has already been part of the first teams in Barça and Girona and, most seriously, chosen in the NBA Draft. The center was the 31st chosen in 2023, the Pistons did, and his rights to the League have also already passed through the hands of the Hornets and Knicks. This last summer he tried to get New York to offer him a contract, but the situation did not work out and he looked for this rich opportunity in the Baylor Bears, who did open the door for him.
Nnaji He is one of the few who has explored this path with the history he has. For some classics, drift is an absolute atrocity. But this spiral has another even more twisted twist. Come and see. A player the same age as Nnaji, with a past at UCLA, has gone further. Amari Bailey was not only chosen in the major league, he has played in it. He has two courses, too. A total of ten games. And now he wants to retrace his steps and return to the university circuit. A situation that is difficult to explain outside of a context of novelty.
It would be the first case of its kind. With a dual contract he played in the NBA with the Hornets. 2.3 points in 6.5 minutes. He would later move through the Nets and Timberwolves affiliates. In total he earned 565,000 at that stage of his life. He hopes to go back and have his college eligibility activated again. He wants a last year there; According to the rules, it would be his last. The player has hired an agent and a lawyer to review the tournament scripts and explore the possibility. It has a window of hope called Charles Bediako.
Bedia He beat the NCAA in state court and proved that, under the rules, he could go back. In his case there was no worthwhile debut, but he had signed a professional contract. He was in the Spurs reserve team in the development league with that special agreement. He recently went into court battle and first received the green light to play in the college tournament, where he signed for Alabama, and then was prohibited from playing again. Bailey’s intention is to follow that lead. The failures of the rules and the money at stake have caused all of this.
The laxity in paying players has become more pronounced since the last rule change. From charging what is essential for maintenance to launching advertising campaigns, sports brands and, sometimes under the hood, a contract with the university itself. The intention was none other than to compete with trainers from all over the planet as if the students, which is what they are at that age, were already professionals; absolutely equal. A fact to explain it: Cooper Flagg, the number one in the 2025 Draft, earned 28 million dollars in the only season he played with Duke.
“I don’t intend to be 27 years old and continue playing at a university level. Without offending those who do, that is their career. But I have already been a professional player. I learned a lot and went through a lot of things. This is not a publicity stunt”dice Bailey a ESPN in addition to justifying his intention as showing everyone that he is capable of leading a team to victory.
Related news
Our Newsletter and informative alert on channel WhatsApp.
Looking to license content? click here for information.
Related reading
