At what age is it too young to place this type of expectations on prospects. To me, so much can still go wrong at 14. Was Bailey even good enough to live up to expectations?
People have no idea how famous this guy was. You had to live through it. People packed stadiums not arenas, stadiums to see him play in high school. I remember that SI article that had him ranked as the best freshman in HS in the country.
This is that REAL stunted growth! You had to to be there. I’m from DC-but my mom is from Indianapolis and I spent every summer there. The hype this dude had -with all the talent from this state was absurd! He was more hyped than Big Dog Robinson and Shawn Kemp for Christsakes in high school in Indiana. I NEVER got it. I knew 1st year there he’s a 3rd option on a final 4 team at best. But that’s the power of the ancient Indiana “There is only ONE state Champion “ for the entire state and the power of winning it was back then. No state is Mr Basketball such a major deal.
Older cat here, I was in middle school during that time and was from that area (my high school is in his conference, and was one of the teams in the highlight reel) people just don't understand how popular that guy was. This was due to several facts: 1. Indiana high school basketball rivals Texas football in worship, especially in those days when it was just one state champion instead of the class system today. 2 There wasn't the major media fracture there is today, mainly 3 channels and cable TV if you're lucky. No internet, satellite TV, or social media. Sports Illustrated mattered more and people still read the newspaper. 3 He came from a small town. Small town heros are gods in their communities. Even though I used to hate him for all the hype, I can guarantee there will never be another high school basketball player that will receive the attention and celebrity status of Damon Bailey in Indiana. He had a storybook high school career, winning his small town's first state championship his senior year after becoming the state's all time leading scorer. High school is not the same. (More emphasis on summer league and travel teams than in the past) PS Bob Knight is the devil incarnate
@@brooklynv7040basketball overall is still pretty big, but high school hoops is not like in the past for the reasons I mentioned in the post, (more distractions, prep schools, travel teams, new media etc)
I remember him being touted more as the next Bob Cousey, or Isiah Thomas, but yeah, the hype around Bailey was enormous. From a Flyin' Illini fan of the late 80s
Wizard, did Eric Anderson win Mr. Basketball in Illinois or Indiana? I know he was born in Chicago, but went to Indiana. Maybe, that's why I'm getting the two states crossed up here. Actually, I think I saw him starring in Hoop Dreams, so it must have been in Illinois. I was born in 1973 in Seattle, where I grew up, a Sonics and Blazers fan, and Japanese-American.
I've always had a disdain for Bobby Knight, i'm sure he's ruined more careers than he's helped if we're being honest. What he said about Damon was foul af.
Players under Knight were just worried about screwing up and getting screamed at. They couldn't flow, improvise, or trust their instincts, because rigid, authoritarian dickheads strangle the life out of everything. Knight's style was good for three national titles in a bygone era, but basketball flourished and grew out of the box created by red-faced squares with sticks up their rears. I am glad for that.
Despite his success he's had as well as having a brilliant basketball mind, it doesn't change the fact that he's quite the asshole. His controversies will forever be a noticeable disdain implemented in his legacy
@@sickofguysnamedtodd2293 he had no offensive game in Carolina. He wasn't an offensive player. He was a big body that played tough. Not saying he was a defensive stopper.
If you think Bailey’s career at IU was a disappointment, you know nothing about basketball. He did everything he was asked to do and played different roles from year to year depending on the team’s personnel including taking on the scoring load his senior year when he averaged 20 points per game. He was a great player
Man I remember at basketball camp they brought up Damon Bailey as if he was already a pro and I was in Upstate New York, not Indiana. So that's how far his legend spread. Then I get into watching NCAA and just like in the clip silky smooth Calbert Chaney was all the talk as a NBA prospect. I thought Damon had look of a star though and was tough minded, so salute to him. A lot of pressure to have to had dealt with!
Cheaney isn't SG material, since he never had high expectations coming out of HS and had to work to become a great College player. Decent pro but wasn't hyped to be one, either. Probably more a product of IU's system and his hard work, than any real preordained basketball stardom.
"Mediocre" is too harsh. He started all four years; he shot well from 2, from 3, and from the FT line; and he had good stats in all categories, notably steals, assists, and the 19.6 average his senior year. He might have done better on a team with a high-profile, high scoring center that defenders had to sag in on. But his only real "failure" was failing to live up to unrealistic expectations. Two bad knees are no asset, either. If his speed is borderline, then he can't afford any ailments in the legs. By the time he was on the Pacers, he'd put many, many games on those legs.
The whole “he would be killed for leaving Indiana for college” reminds me of how Tyler Herro was getting terrorized for going to Kentucky rather than Wisconsin. 😂
@@thomaswilson7538 Not true! They played in some childhood tournaments with and against each other. Magic told his friends that Larry was the real deal!
He really developed in his Jr, and senior HS years. Did he ever win more than a sectional championship? Bailey took his team to 3 of them, and this was open for all schools, not class yet.
People forget Larry Bird committed to indiana but left after a week because he wasn't feeling the vibes. Damon likely would have been best off doing the same, especially after he got to college and his hype started to die down.
This was bad then, I couldn’t imagine how it would be now, in the age of social media. Especially if you don’t reach the expectations. It gives me an extra layer of respect for the people that are able to compartmentalize and thrive anyway. Idk if you could ever be prepared for the off the court stuff.
Hey JC, I disagree with your stunt number three. What Bob Knight did was take the blame for Damon not being all he could be. He was basically saying he failed Damon as a coach. How does that cast Damon in a negative light? Realistically, he wouldn't have made it even if healthy, but those seven (!!!!) knee surgeries did him in...
Definitely agree with you 💯% Mister Mann We all @ some point are going to be A disappointment to someone Or They B a disappointment to you vice versa..... just a FACT of life DEFINITELY his stunted growth was his seven knee surgeries.... When you're damaged goods to a potential employer.... Fugedaboutit
The main thing you’ve highlighted that always makes me sick is coaches’ statements on players. In his case, Bobby Knight ruined any small chances he had at a pro career, and this kind of things STILL HAPPENS today, in college and especially the pros. Anyways, I love the work you do on your videos brother, keep it up.
@@Kirk-eu6xc Did you even play the game? You know nothing about Bailey, well, unless you grew up watching him? Ijuries and Bobby ruined his game, probably at 70%. So add that 30% back in and he plays in the NBA. He had class and all-around, superior talent.
Thank you for finally doing Damon Bailey. I have to disagree on one point. I believe Indiana’s motion offense suited Bailey more, as he wasn’t athletic enough to create his own shot.
This was my HS senior year and we in Cali had Ed Obannon and a dude named Ernest Killum, he definitely wasn’t better than those guys! So, we never got the hype especially because back then high school games weren’t televised like today
I remember that ESPN 30 for 30 on Reggie Miller vs New York Knicks documentary briefly mentioned Damon Bailey when they talked about the basketball culture of high school sports in the state of Indiana.
In one of your pictures you had a Marion Giant. His name was Jay Edwards. Have you done a video on him? Maybe you can do your first one on two players at the same time, bc him and Lyndon Jones were synonymous with Indiana basketball
This guy was LeBron before LeBron - well, at least on the hype & coverage side. He was ranked the #1 high school senior player in the country by some, in the same class including Grant Hill, “Penny” Hardaway, Ed O’Bannon, Darrin Hancock, and Rodney Rogers
I was a sports journalist in Southern Indiana while Damon Bailey’s legend was shining. Sources told me that whereas he was the icon, Calbert Cheaney in Evansville was really the best college prospect in the region. Odd how whereas Larry Bird actually finished third in the voting for Indiana Mr. Basketball and was off the radar of the sport for the next three years, Damon finished first as Mr. God while still 15. Lack of expectations greatly helped Bird, Cheaney, and Bill Walton, while gigantic expectations held Bailey, Ralph Sampson and Tom McMillian back.
#Salute💯 #JC #AkA #StuntedGrowth‼️ I been asking you for this one for a hot min, and you delivered 🙌🏽 👌🏽My bro💯‼️....;Damn over 41,000 for a high school basketball 🏀 game!! With no social media at the time no less??If he had went to Notre Dame I don't think it would of been too bad, because ND is still in the state of Indiana??
Knight suggested that HE as a coach was a disappointment, not Damon. Bailey, like Steve Alford was a fantastic high school player, a very good college player, but ultimately neither had what it took to make in the NBA. Damon was a legend in Indiana and will always remain one.
I remember the hype surrounding Damon when i was 11-12 years old. But i always felt that playing for Indiana was a gift and a curse. I thought he was going to kill when he got drafted but we never saw that happen.
He was ALL hype. He was not that good for 3 reasons. 1.) Offensively he was limited, 2.) Defensively he was very limited and 3.) He just didn't have the game a star would have. Would love to see a piece on Lawrence Moten and Todd Burgan.
People dont remember this but Bailey was the tallest player on his HS team. He was basically their center on most defensive sets. He also led one of the least overall talented teams to the state title, I think against Eric Montross' team up from Indy.
Let's talk about a Hoosier legend that had the game on lock at the high school level, got busy in college, but didn't quite make it rain in the NBA. We're talking about none other than Damon Bailey. Back in his high school days, Bailey was the truth. He put up a staggering 3,134 points in his career at Bedford North Lawrence High School,That's some next-level stuff right there. After taking the high school game by storm, Bailey moved on to Indiana University, where he held it down for four years. He wasn't a superstar at the college level, but he was a solid contributor and an all-around baller. But when it came time to make the leap to the NBA, things didn't quite pan out for Bailey. Now, we're not saying that Bailey was a bust or anything like that. He had a solid career overall, and he's still remembered as a legend in the state of Indiana. But at the end of the day, it's fair to say that he didn't quite live up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of high school. But hey, that's just how the game goes sometimes.
I just looked at his Indiana stats -- he was quite a scorer, he maintained a TS% above 0.60% which is astounding for that era and his size (usually guys who have that high a TS dunk alot or make alot of 3s)
Damon Baily remind me of Steve Alford at Indiana. It was to much pressure on him playing for Bob Knight. If he would play at Notre Dame, he would been a first round pick.
Highly doubtful. He had knee problems all the way back to high school. He wasn't athletic and like the video stated played out of position in college and definitely would have had trouble in the more athletic NBA. He got the most out of his abilities. Bobby Knight is a lot of things, and his reign of terror chewed up a lot of players, but Damon Bailey's ceiling was always just going to be a good college player.
@@diggidy5367 his knee issues are what did him in the most. He was actually a pretty good athlete. I remember seeing him doing alley-oops in warm-ups as a freshman in high school. He could flush it down with authority.
@@generalzod7959 myself I don't remember him being that athletic. However I didn't see him up close. I talked to the older guys from highschool who actually played against him. They didn't really say he was too athletic, just him being really fundamentally sound, hard-nosed and smart. He also benefited from a lot of the "Bailey calls" in high school. (Sorry my town was a rival) The times I saw him play on TV he didn't seem that athletic but I could be wrong
He was a very good player and might have been able to have a good nba career if not for his knee injury BUT he never was going to live up to Bobby Knights hype.
The only thing I regret from Bailey's IU years was the 92 final four game with Duke where a spiteful refereeing crew called the Hoosiers for 33 fouls and a technical on Knight. They hated Knight and totally took the game over. The charging calls on Cheaney is really all you need to see. As for Bailey, the haters will hate, but he had a great career. As 'HoosierBallz' pointed out below: '8th on the Indiana University points list and tied for 5th in assists. To call his college career at IU "mediocre" is one hell of a stretch.' His only sin was not living up to unrealistic expectations.
Okay, I was a few yrs younger than Damon so I never played him, but I grew up right between Bedford and French Lick, my dad played with Larry. I watched Damon dunk on my cousin in Jr. High. I never heard ANYONE compare him to Larry Bird! Damon was a great hs and college player. But Bird is one of the greatest PERIOD. Cool video, but this guy is pretty clueless
Absolutely!! We played those BNL teams during the regular season and in sectional. The only similarity between Larry and Damon was they were white kids from southern Indiana. NO ONE ever said he was next Larry. Dude was ridiculous in HS and had a really good career at IU. I thought he got everything he could out of his 6'3" frame. Yes, injuries limited him but he wasn't necessarily a NBA guy then anyway. Today's game, with his overall strength and ability to shoot that well.. that's a different story.. He's JJ Reddick today
Ok that’ll work I’m from Indiana didn’t think about him I was thinking more like landon turner or Bobby wikerson or even Lyndon jones there are a lot in Indiana
Damon Bailey was basically Mac McClung without the hops or explosiveness. A nicely skilled undersized combo guard, especially for the middle and high school level. He peaked early and was never going to be bigger or better than that.
As being a Hoosier and being from right outside his hometown. Bailey when he was younger was a great ball player but injuries were a big upset. As a few teachers that were coaches when he was playing said that even teams coming in had grudges to hurt Bailey so he could not play. Hoo Hoo Hoosiers
By Bailey’s junior year at IU his knees were gone. If it was just about any other player he would have had them fixed before his senior season. IU and Knight managed to keep the condition of Bailey’s knees under wraps. The Pacers used their last pick to select Bailey, his knees were so bad by then he couldn’t pass the physical and had to get them fixed before he could even practice with the team.
Ayo JC, you gotta do a video on ROY MARBLE …growing up in the mid 80’s watching college basketball religiously, he was the first player I can remember being called the “next Jordan” ..what happen?? Salute 💯
The 41,000 attending that state final game at the Hoosier Dome might’ve been there to see Damon Bailey’s opponent, Concord High School & Shawn Kemp as well.
Knees got him like many promising Basketball and Football players. Hey I grew up in Indiana and when he got all this fame I was in Texas so I never heard of this guy.
Bailey had a great high school career and a good college career. And he had fun! Don't pay attention to videos like this that make controversy out of nothing.
In 1991 I tossed "God" right off of a Go Kart track one hot Summer day in Nashville Indiana at a ski resort. He started the 25lap race by right away wrecking two others, forcing me to stop the action and straighten the cars out to start again. I warned him both times. On the third time, I run right up to him and tell him to exit the track. Meanwhile, his family was in line behind me the whole time waiting their turn to start with the next group. They razzed me somewhat for tossing him, and there was a noticeable "Oh shit!" type vibe there among everyone after I did the deed. The "entitlement vibe" was there, and we could all see it. I knew who the kid was, and at the time I was about 7-8yrs older than him. After the race was over, his family actually stopped me and told me how impressed they were with how I handled it all. We had about a 20min convo. in which at one point I asked Bailey to do the right thing and go down to Chapel Hill with Eric Montross and get himself a national title. They all snickered, we parted ways with some good moments, and the rest played itself out a few months later. Out.
I think it really came down to Bailey stopped growing at 6’3” and his knees were bad. He was actually a better inside player than outside. He just wasn’t going to get away with playing like that at 6’3”. So for him to have the career he did at IU as a guard was actually pretty good. The hype was real though. It was ridiculous and when I saw him play foe the first time in that championship game, as good as he was I wanted more because the hype was impossible to live up to.
This is a classic example of someone's "game" peaking too soon. I'm sure many have seen this before and when you hear that ill fated phrase..." Oh He's gonna be the next.......", it's all bad after that. Remember Harold Miner???? Thought so. As good as Bailey was, on the college level he was barely a blip on the radar. 7 knee surgeries once he got to the Association without playing a game, wow!!!! Great piece my man, you do great work, keep it up!!!!
I don't remember ever hearing of Larry Bird in High School I do remember hearing about a kid from Lafayette Jefferson or how about a bunch from East Chicago Washington or Gary who became stars in the NBA.
I'm from the DC area and remember when iu lost to MD in the national championship game. He had a nice game imo. Collegiately. Smooth. But in the pros I just think he wasn't for that era. Too bad too. He'd be around a lot longer today. And it was the wiz after all lol even though that's my hometown squad 🤣
Unfortunately the hype train for young players has only intensified. Saw highlights of a ten year old on ball is life Instagram the other day and I'm thinking what happens to this young man when he doesn't live up too the hype.
At what age is it too young to place this type of expectations on prospects. To me, so much can still go wrong at 14. Was Bailey even good enough to live up to expectations?
How long have I been asking for this guy, huh? 1 year? 2? I'm so glad you finally did this one!!!👍🏾
You should do Ted Dupay… saw him drop 30 plus back in the day. Went to Florida.
Tamir Goodman might be a Good one to cover JC
The Jewish Jordan (Cue the Fuck outta here)
He could’ve been with less pressure.
Can you do a vid on Allen Iverson? I felt like his growth was stunted in a couple ways.
Being a native Hoosier, Damon was the real deal. He was a 4 year starter on very good IU teams. He is a legend in Indiana.
But didn’t do shit after that lol
He had a great career at indiana the numbers don't lie
If he was the real deal he would of went further. He was not.
@@romeod7549 he had injury problems with his knees. He peaked early
People have no idea how famous this guy was. You had to live through it. People packed stadiums not arenas, stadiums to see him play in high school. I remember that SI article that had him ranked as the best freshman in HS in the country.
45,000 people filled the Hoosier dome to watch him play in the state championship game.
BNL Fieldhouse is not a stadium.
@@Randy-ry9ss What the fuck are you talking about?!!! The RCA Dome was a stadium.
@@jesselinville898 Yep! And I think his biggest moment was that game against Ohio State his Freshman year where I think he scored about 30 points.
people picked grass out of his yard lol just imagine… i was all state twice but i wasn’t THAT popular lol
This is that REAL stunted growth! You had to to be there. I’m from DC-but my mom is from Indianapolis and I spent every summer there. The hype this dude had -with all the talent from this state was absurd! He was more hyped than Big Dog Robinson and Shawn Kemp for Christsakes in high school in Indiana. I NEVER got it. I knew 1st year there he’s a 3rd option on a final 4 team at best. But that’s the power of the ancient Indiana “There is only ONE state Champion “ for the entire state and the power of winning it was back then. No state is Mr Basketball such a major deal.
Preach it! These young 'uns don't know!
He was too far down the depth chart every damn year
I always thought that was the coolest, no classes, if you win that tourney as a small school you had to be legit.
White
@@payrysdoscs4903 In college?
Older cat here, I was in middle school during that time and was from that area (my high school is in his conference, and was one of the teams in the highlight reel) people just don't understand how popular that guy was. This was due to several facts:
1. Indiana high school basketball rivals Texas football in worship, especially in those days when it was just one state champion instead of the class system today.
2 There wasn't the major media fracture there is today, mainly 3 channels and cable TV if you're lucky. No internet, satellite TV, or social media. Sports Illustrated mattered more and people still read the newspaper.
3 He came from a small town. Small town heros are gods in their communities.
Even though I used to hate him for all the hype, I can guarantee there will never be another high school basketball player that will receive the attention and celebrity status of Damon Bailey in Indiana. He had a storybook high school career, winning his small town's first state championship his senior year after becoming the state's all time leading scorer. High school is not the same. (More emphasis on summer league and travel teams than in the past)
PS Bob Knight is the devil incarnate
Is basketball still super popular in Indiana? I remember growing up. All I heard of was Indiana basketball
Bobby Knight a racist coward
Bob the myth the legend 😎
@@brooklynv7040basketball overall is still pretty big, but high school hoops is not like in the past for the reasons I mentioned in the post, (more distractions, prep schools, travel teams, new media etc)
@@dannycorsaro546 Robert Montgomery Knight aka Bobby Knight is also known by his other name Beelzebub.
'We worship him'...we need to stop that bullshit!
I remember this guy. They talked about him sooo much, I could have sworn he was on IU's squad for about 7 years.
I remember him being touted more as the next Bob Cousey, or Isiah Thomas, but yeah, the hype around Bailey was enormous. From a Flyin' Illini fan of the late 80s
Not much like Cousy but a lot like Isiah.
Wizard, did Eric Anderson win Mr. Basketball in Illinois or Indiana? I know he was born in Chicago, but went to Indiana. Maybe, that's why I'm getting the two states crossed up here. Actually, I think I saw him starring in Hoop Dreams, so it must have been in Illinois. I was born in 1973 in Seattle, where I grew up, a Sonics and Blazers fan, and Japanese-American.
I've always had a disdain for Bobby Knight, i'm sure he's ruined more careers than he's helped if we're being honest. What he said about Damon was foul af.
Players under Knight were just worried about screwing up and getting screamed at. They couldn't flow, improvise, or trust their instincts, because rigid, authoritarian dickheads strangle the life out of everything. Knight's style was good for three national titles in a bygone era, but basketball flourished and grew out of the box created by red-faced squares with sticks up their rears. I am glad for that.
Knight is a first class POS
You know it, too.
Despite his success he's had as well as having a brilliant basketball mind, it doesn't change the fact that he's quite the asshole. His controversies will forever be a noticeable disdain implemented in his legacy
Bobby Knight is still an at-large fugitive on charges of assaulting a police officer in Puerto Rico in 1979. That says a lot about him.
Speaking of Indiana high school basketball phenoms from the class of 1990, can you do one on Eric Montross?
He was not stunted at all. If u watched him in college u knew he was gonna be who he was in the league.
Montross lived up to his expectations, I feel like.
@@ProdbyGrimeyred I love Montross as a die hard Tar Heels fan, but idk I think maybe he was a bit underdeveloped coming out of Chapel Hill
@@sickofguysnamedtodd2293 he had no offensive game in Carolina. He wasn't an offensive player. He was a big body that played tough. Not saying he was a defensive stopper.
@@ProdbyGrimeyred Facts
If you think Bailey’s career at IU was a disappointment, you know nothing about basketball. He did everything he was asked to do and played different roles from year to year depending on the team’s personnel including taking on the scoring load his senior year when he averaged 20 points per game. He was a great player
This is a great series I love the history in these videos. You do a great job brotha
Thank you.
Man I remember at basketball camp they brought up Damon Bailey as if he was already a pro and I was in Upstate New York, not Indiana. So that's how far his legend spread. Then I get into watching NCAA and just like in the clip silky smooth Calbert Chaney was all the talk as a NBA prospect. I thought Damon had look of a star though and was tough minded, so salute to him. A lot of pressure to have to had dealt with!
Both southern Indiana boys. ;)
Calbert Chaney....that takes me back. How about a Stunted Growth about him?
Cheaney isn't SG material, since he never had high expectations coming out of HS and had to work to become a great College player. Decent pro but wasn't hyped to be one, either. Probably more a product of IU's system and his hard work, than any real preordained basketball stardom.
@@ManovSteelo Another sale job, not fair. He broke his ankle very late in his senior year. That did hurt his momentum and his team, too.
Stunted growth on the all time leading scorer jn the Big 10? LOL
Cheaney played very little his senior year due to injury. There was little expected from him. IU was fantastic for him
Chaney was silky smooth.
"Mediocre" is too harsh. He started all four years; he shot well from 2, from 3, and from the FT line; and he had good stats in all categories, notably steals, assists, and the 19.6 average his senior year. He might have done better on a team with a high-profile, high scoring center that defenders had to sag in on. But his only real "failure" was failing to live up to unrealistic expectations. Two bad knees are no asset, either. If his speed is borderline, then he can't afford any ailments in the legs. By the time he was on the Pacers, he'd put many, many games on those legs.
Yes, knees Pal, since high school. Geez.
And surgeries, too.
I remember reading a article on him in Sports Illustrated for kids, when I was hella young,, this one took me back!!
The whole “he would be killed for leaving Indiana for college” reminds me of how Tyler Herro was getting terrorized for going to Kentucky rather than Wisconsin. 😂
Yup. Romeo Langford wanted to go to North Caroline or Kansas, but he knew he just couldn't.
I forgot Herro played at Kentucky. And my favorite college team plays them 2 times a year most years. 😂😂
@@ziggzagg8878 yeah he really didn’t do too much to stick out and grab your attention at kentucky.
Bird had no fear of BK. He left.
Wisconsin didn't fit Herro's game Gard would've held him back
Like Magic Johnson said "There will never, ever be another Larry Bird".
Johnson never heard of Bird until he went to Indiana State.
EVAH!
@@thomaswilson7538 Not true! They played in some childhood tournaments with and against each other. Magic told his friends that Larry was the real deal!
Luca is the closest I've seen
@@johnbeardshall2898 Nope not even close. Bird played D and could score with or without the ball.
Larry bird amazed anyone who watched him play. He was one of the best to ever play the game
He really developed in his Jr, and senior HS years. Did he ever win more than a sectional championship?
Bailey took his team to 3 of them, and this was open for all schools, not class yet.
Terrell Brandon would be a good person to highlight. People forget how good he was. At one point SI rated him best point guard.
That article was mocked the moment it came out. I still have that issue. He was so instrumental in helping turnaround Billups career.
People forget Larry Bird committed to indiana but left after a week because he wasn't feeling the vibes. Damon likely would have been best off doing the same, especially after he got to college and his hype started to die down.
Good choice
Seems like I remember hearing stories about him possibly transferring, of course that never happened, not sure if that was real or not
This was bad then, I couldn’t imagine how it would be now, in the age of social media. Especially if you don’t reach the expectations. It gives me an extra layer of respect for the people that are able to compartmentalize and thrive anyway. Idk if you could ever be prepared for the off the court stuff.
Hey JC, I disagree with your stunt number three. What Bob Knight did was take the blame for Damon not being all he could be. He was basically saying he failed Damon as a coach. How does that cast Damon in a negative light? Realistically, he wouldn't have made it even if healthy, but those seven (!!!!) knee surgeries did him in...
Because Knight gave him what he wanted instead of what he needed.
Definitely agree with you 💯% Mister Mann
We all @ some point are going to be A disappointment to someone
Or
They B a disappointment to you vice versa..... just a FACT of life
DEFINITELY his stunted growth was his seven knee surgeries....
When you're damaged goods to a potential employer....
Fugedaboutit
Duh.
The main thing you’ve highlighted that always makes me sick is coaches’ statements on players. In his case, Bobby Knight ruined any small chances he had at a pro career, and this kind of things STILL HAPPENS today, in college and especially the pros. Anyways, I love the work you do on your videos brother, keep it up.
Knight didn’t ruin his pro chances. Bailey wasn’t good enough to play in the NBA. Stop trying to make a boogeyman out of Knight.
@@Kirk-eu6xc Did you even play the game?
You know nothing about Bailey, well, unless you grew up watching him? Ijuries and Bobby ruined his game, probably at 70%. So add that 30% back in and he plays in the NBA. He had class and all-around, superior talent.
I appreciate your page always great content!! Can you Do Kendall Gill or Kevin Love next
Those people are not stunted growths numnuts
Both KG and KLove had solid careers though.
Thank you for finally doing Damon Bailey. I have to disagree on one point. I believe Indiana’s motion offense suited Bailey more, as he wasn’t athletic enough to create his own shot.
Injuriessss.
This was my HS senior year and we in Cali had Ed Obannon and a dude named Ernest Killum, he definitely wasn’t better than those guys! So, we never got the hype especially because back then high school games weren’t televised like today
@Basketball Seasoned Vets We had a brother named Rodney Rogers in the Tar Heel state.
Ha, ha, another one.
@@Belburg Rogers was a grown man, I still remember his 360 at the end of the McDonald’s game😳😳😳
@@bigfletch07 Rodney was that guy, a little more killer instinct who knows.
So glad to find this channel. I think Luka has that title but people forget just how good Larry was.
I remember that ESPN 30 for 30 on Reggie Miller vs New York Knicks documentary briefly mentioned Damon Bailey when they talked about the basketball culture of high school sports in the state of Indiana.
You ain't lyin. Still a decent 30 for 30 tho. The same state that was mad the pacers took Miller over Alford smh
@@bbryant9455 yup true
You should do one of Anthony Randolph. Went from bust to Euroleague star
Check it out, Alonzo Mourning and Kenny Anderson cameo in this video!
In one of your pictures you had a Marion Giant. His name was Jay Edwards. Have you done a video on him? Maybe you can do your first one on two players at the same time, bc him and Lyndon Jones were synonymous with Indiana basketball
Luke Recker needs to be next, if you haven’t done him yet.
JC how long did it take you to develop your ball handling ability ?
Months/Years ?
Damn I don't even recognize that name. I didn't know this story! #salute
This guy was LeBron before LeBron - well, at least on the hype & coverage side. He was ranked the #1 high school senior player in the country by some, in the same class including Grant Hill, “Penny” Hardaway, Ed O’Bannon, Darrin Hancock, and Rodney Rogers
He had great white hype on his side.
Can you do one on Orlando Woolridge next?
O wow. I went to IU with Bailey. I'm a HOOSIER. I witness everything you spoke on.
I was a sports journalist in Southern Indiana while Damon Bailey’s legend was shining. Sources told me that whereas he was the icon, Calbert Cheaney in Evansville was really the best college prospect in the region.
Odd how whereas Larry Bird actually finished third in the voting for Indiana Mr. Basketball and was off the radar of the sport for the next three years, Damon finished first as Mr. God while still 15.
Lack of expectations greatly helped Bird, Cheaney, and Bill Walton, while gigantic expectations held Bailey, Ralph Sampson and Tom McMillian back.
#Salute💯 #JC #AkA #StuntedGrowth‼️ I been asking you for this one for a hot min, and you delivered 🙌🏽 👌🏽My bro💯‼️....;Damn
over 41,000 for a high school basketball 🏀 game!! With no social media at the time no less??If he had went to Notre Dame I don't think it would of been too bad, because ND is still in the state of Indiana??
Knight suggested that HE as a coach was a disappointment, not Damon. Bailey, like Steve Alford was a fantastic high school player, a very good college player, but ultimately neither had what it took to make in the NBA. Damon was a legend in Indiana and will always remain one.
Uh, youngsters, injuries ruined Bailey, not Alford.
I remember the hype surrounding Damon when i was 11-12 years old. But i always felt that playing for Indiana was a gift and a curse. I thought he was going to kill when he got drafted but we never saw that happen.
Injuriessss.
Big Dog , and Mashburn turned down IU. Bailey only school go too was Kentucky. But, they were on probation. Bailey got to a final four in 92.
First time watching your videos, great work. Respect from one Bahamian to another!
He was one of the reasons one of the main reasons I started watching college basketball.
He was ALL hype. He was not that good for 3 reasons. 1.) Offensively he was limited, 2.) Defensively he was very limited and 3.) He just didn't have the game a star would have.
Would love to see a piece on Lawrence Moten and Todd Burgan.
ruclips.net/video/ioLYb7ZVDtY/видео.html
His motel video was cool. I wore high socks for a year or two cause of this dude and Kerry kitties
@@stuntedgrowth yea I did see that one. I'm tripping.
Todd Burgan...should've been a Doughboy...Todd was nice
Sorry, Pal, you have no idea of what you're talking about. Read more and check my replies so to get better educated on Bailey.
Damons Hoosier team had an epic 2 ot thriller against the Jimmy Jackson led Buckeyes. One of the best college games I ever saw.
I remember that game, I happened to be down in KY and trying to listen to it on the radio, kept going in and out
I think that he was a great college player 💪
He'll might as well do
Alan Henderson & Brian Evans too
Brian Evans was a scorer machine here in Italy. Even a 53 points game. What a shooter
People dont remember this but Bailey was the tallest player on his HS team. He was basically their center on most defensive sets.
He also led one of the least overall talented teams to the state title, I think against Eric Montross' team up from Indy.
Love the history of these player and you thought me a lot about them, love this channel
Dope video. I remember this guy when I was young. Can you do a Travis Best video?
He already did one on Travis Best
He was hyped but ?LARRY BIRD? Never!!! There will be only one Larry Bird.
Still have an IU jacket with his signature I had gotten. Was either after a game or during production of the movie blue chips
Let's talk about a Hoosier legend that had the game on lock at the high school level, got busy in college, but didn't quite make it rain in the NBA. We're talking about none other than Damon Bailey.
Back in his high school days, Bailey was the truth. He put up a staggering 3,134 points in his career at Bedford North Lawrence High School,That's some next-level stuff right there.
After taking the high school game by storm, Bailey moved on to Indiana University, where he held it down for four years. He wasn't a superstar at the college level, but he was a solid contributor and an all-around baller. But when it came time to make the leap to the NBA, things didn't quite pan out for Bailey. Now, we're not saying that Bailey was a bust or anything like that. He had a solid career overall, and he's still remembered as a legend in the state of Indiana. But at the end of the day, it's fair to say that he didn't quite live up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of high school. But hey, that's just how the game goes sometimes.
I just looked at his Indiana stats -- he was quite a scorer, he maintained a TS% above 0.60% which is astounding for that era and his size (usually guys who have that high a TS dunk alot or make alot of 3s)
I see why Larry Bird ain't play for Bobby Knight
Damon Baily remind me of Steve Alford at Indiana. It was to much pressure on him playing for Bob Knight. If he would play at Notre Dame, he would been a first round pick.
Highly doubtful. He had knee problems all the way back to high school. He wasn't athletic and like the video stated played out of position in college and definitely would have had trouble in the more athletic NBA. He got the most out of his abilities. Bobby Knight is a lot of things, and his reign of terror chewed up a lot of players, but Damon Bailey's ceiling was always just going to be a good college player.
@@diggidy5367 his knee issues are what did him in the most. He was actually a pretty good athlete. I remember seeing him doing alley-oops in warm-ups as a freshman in high school. He could flush it down with authority.
@@generalzod7959 myself I don't remember him being that athletic. However I didn't see him up close. I talked to the older guys from highschool who actually played against him. They didn't really say he was too athletic, just him being really fundamentally sound, hard-nosed and smart. He also benefited from a lot of the "Bailey calls" in high school. (Sorry my town was a rival) The times I saw him play on TV he didn't seem that athletic but I could be wrong
He was still a first round pick
@@damienkirksey7026 he went in the second round
He's legit in my book Great breakdown
He was a very good player and might have been able to have a good nba career if not for his knee injury BUT he never was going to live up to Bobby Knights hype.
I saw him play at Salem his freshman year of HS, and sat in front of Knight. Salem had a great freshman, too, in Jim Apple, #2 Indiana All Star.
Good deal. A true witness.
Apple might have been a senior, I cannot recall. Still, two greats!
What’s sad is he was legitimately an elite player but the injuries killed his career. When he was healthy he could play with anyone.
Finally, someone who knows basketball. :)
This is the first one where I’ve actually had to say “WHO?!”
Skip Bayless is *still* insisting Damon Bailey was a better basketball player than Steph Curry.
SMH.
2:02 My uncle was teammates with Damon in eighth grade, so my dad was there and he said it was crazy
He was a solid player. I thought Indiana was going to win the final four in 92. They had the talent.
Probably would have had not Henderson gotten hurt
I forgot he got hurt. That was a great team.
thanks you made me get back into basket ball
The only thing I regret from Bailey's IU years was the 92 final four game with Duke where a spiteful refereeing crew called the Hoosiers for 33 fouls and a technical on Knight. They hated Knight and totally took the game over. The charging calls on Cheaney is really all you need to see.
As for Bailey, the haters will hate, but he had a great career. As 'HoosierBallz' pointed out below: '8th on the Indiana University points list and tied for 5th in assists. To call his college career at IU "mediocre" is one hell of a stretch.'
His only sin was not living up to unrealistic expectations.
Love this channel!
What about
1. Steve Blake
2.Mike Miller
3. Derek Fisher
Blake was really good at Maryland
I love your series, and the 🎵, keep it up also this dude looks like he could be JOSH ALLEN 😂
Okay, I was a few yrs younger than Damon so I never played him, but I grew up right between Bedford and French Lick, my dad played with Larry. I watched Damon dunk on my cousin in Jr. High. I never heard ANYONE compare him to Larry Bird! Damon was a great hs and college player. But Bird is one of the greatest PERIOD. Cool video, but this guy is pretty clueless
Absolutely!! We played those BNL teams during the regular season and in sectional. The only similarity between Larry and Damon was they were white kids from southern Indiana. NO ONE ever said he was next Larry. Dude was ridiculous in HS and had a really good career at IU. I thought he got everything he could out of his 6'3" frame. Yes, injuries limited him but he wasn't necessarily a NBA guy then anyway. Today's game, with his overall strength and ability to shoot that well.. that's a different story.. He's JJ Reddick today
@hosehead, I don't remember those Larry Bird comparisons either
Ok that’ll work I’m from Indiana didn’t think about him I was thinking more like landon turner or Bobby wikerson or even Lyndon jones there are a lot in Indiana
Can you do a video on Brian Roberts? A point guard who played in the NBA during 2010s from my hometown Toledo, Ohio.
Can we get a Sean Banks stunted growth. Dude win freshman of the year for C-USA while playing at Memphis and disappeared after that
Damon Bailey was basically Mac McClung without the hops or explosiveness. A nicely skilled undersized combo guard, especially for the middle and high school level. He peaked early and was never going to be bigger or better than that.
Being from Indiana i'll tell what happen to Bailey, his knees and nothing more. He never got a big head, knees & nothing more.
You should do some one coaches like d'antoni who can win a lot but isn't a championship type of coach.
As being a Hoosier and being from right outside his hometown. Bailey when he was younger was a great ball player but injuries were a big upset. As a few teachers that were coaches when he was playing said that even teams coming in had grudges to hurt Bailey so he could not play. Hoo Hoo Hoosiers
By Bailey’s junior year at IU his knees were gone. If it was just about any other player he would have had them fixed before his senior season. IU and Knight managed to keep the condition of Bailey’s knees under wraps. The Pacers used their last pick to select Bailey, his knees were so bad by then he couldn’t pass the physical and had to get them fixed before he could even practice with the team.
Ayo JC, you gotta do a video on ROY MARBLE …growing up in the mid 80’s watching college basketball religiously, he was the first player I can remember being called the “next Jordan” ..what happen?? Salute 💯
The 41,000 attending that state final game at the Hoosier Dome might’ve been there to see Damon Bailey’s opponent, Concord High School & Shawn Kemp as well.
Twas there. ;)
Knees got him like many promising Basketball and Football players. Hey I grew up in Indiana and when he got all this fame I was in Texas so I never heard of this guy.
Bailey had a great high school career and a good college career. And he had fun! Don't pay attention to videos like this that make controversy out of nothing.
In 1991 I tossed "God" right off of a Go Kart track one hot Summer day in Nashville Indiana at a ski resort. He started the 25lap race by right away wrecking two others, forcing me to stop the action and straighten the cars out to start again. I warned him both times. On the third time, I run right up to him and tell him to exit the track. Meanwhile, his family was in line behind me the whole time waiting their turn to start with the next group. They razzed me somewhat for tossing him, and there was a noticeable "Oh shit!" type vibe there among everyone after I did the deed. The "entitlement vibe" was there, and we could all see it. I knew who the kid was, and at the time I was about 7-8yrs older than him. After the race was over, his family actually stopped me and told me how impressed they were with how I handled it all. We had about a 20min convo. in which at one point I asked Bailey to do the right thing and go down to Chapel Hill with Eric Montross and get himself a national title. They all snickered, we parted ways with some good moments, and the rest played itself out a few months later. Out.
They say Damon bailey was like the white lebron back in the day
I think it really came down to Bailey stopped growing at 6’3” and his knees were bad. He was actually a better inside player than outside. He just wasn’t going to get away with playing like that at 6’3”. So for him to have the career he did at IU as a guard was actually pretty good.
The hype was real though. It was ridiculous and when I saw him play foe the first time in that championship game, as good as he was I wanted more because the hype was impossible to live up to.
I was at the game when he went and hugged his family in the crowd!!!My all time favorite Indiana player!!Still!!!!!
This is a classic example of someone's "game" peaking too soon. I'm sure many have seen this before and when you hear that ill fated phrase..." Oh He's gonna be the next.......", it's all bad after that. Remember Harold Miner???? Thought so. As good as Bailey was, on the college level he was barely a blip on the radar. 7 knee surgeries once he got to the Association without playing a game, wow!!!! Great piece my man, you do great work, keep it up!!!!
Let me see. You, how good were you in high school, and if you already had serious knee problems? Hmm, not so good I bet?
I don't remember ever hearing of Larry Bird in High School I do remember hearing about a kid from Lafayette Jefferson or how about a bunch from East Chicago Washington or Gary who became stars in the NBA.
If Bobby knight was black he would have been out of coaching forever
You right. Bet nobody have that conversation.💯💯
Bobby Knight would probably win only 5 games in today's one and done era.
I don’t disagree. But at the same time Big John Thompson(RIP) had a similar coaching style he just wasn’t known to be as abusive as Knight was.
You ever heard of John Chaney, Calberts dad I believe. Psycho sometimes coaching lol! Temple University.
@@shawnellmcqueen268 John Chaney is not related to Calbert Cheaney; their last name is spelled differently 💯
Damon was very good and @ his age his expectations were crazy. Bobby said he was pretty much the best guard in the big 10 lol as a senior in hs. Idk.
i remember this guy. i never thought he would be like larry.
Ahum, Baliley took his team to the State Finals [4 teams left] 3 of his 4 years. Bird, no chance at any Final Fours.
Reece Gaines 😫🤞🏾🤞🏾
Ohhh now this is a good one!!! 1 of my most hated villains!!
I like for you to do one on Jared Jeffries. I think his growth was stunted when he left IU too early
I'm from the DC area and remember when iu lost to MD in the national championship game. He had a nice game imo. Collegiately. Smooth. But in the pros I just think he wasn't for that era. Too bad too. He'd be around a lot longer today. And it was the wiz after all lol even though that's my hometown squad 🤣
Unfortunately the hype train for young players has only intensified. Saw highlights of a ten year old on ball is life Instagram the other day and I'm thinking what happens to this young man when he doesn't live up too the hype.
Please research Reggie Carter from NYC and Played at Long Island Lutheran, Hawaii, St. Johns and the Knicks
No one ever said he'd be the next Larry Bird, even in Indiana.
That was right for coach knight to say