One of the NBA’s youngest rising stars is returning home this week to give back to his community.
Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey will host a free youth basketball camp for nearly 250 local boys and girls in grades 3-12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at East Hamilton High School.
Bailey, a Chattanooga native who turned 20 on Aug. 13, was the fifth overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft after playing a single college season for Big Ten member Rutgers in New Jersey.
Prior to that, he attended Barger Academy of Fine Arts, Dalewood Middle School and Boyd Buchanan School as a high school freshman before transferring to McEachern in Powder Springs, Georgia. He was named the Peach State’s Mr. Basketball award winner as a senior after averaging 32.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 blocks per game during his senior year with the Indians, who finished as state runners-up in GHSA Class AAAAAAA for that 2023-24 season.
NBA.com ranks Bailey at No. 143 overall in the league heading into his second pro season after he averaged 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 block per game as a rookie while shooting 44.3% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range. He averaged 27.6 minutes while appearing in all 72 games for the Jazz, making 61 starts.