Both Ace's mom and aunt played for the WNBA.
Mustafa Gatollari - Author
Utah Jazz fans are excited about the Western Conference team's recent acquisition of Rutgers college basketball standout Ace Bailey. However, long before he was drafted to a team named after a genre of music, Ace's game was helped shaped by his family, who are decorated hoopers themselves. Fans of the game have wondered if a former Jazz player, Thurl Bailey, is related to Ace.
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Is Ace Bailey related to Thurl Bailey?
Although they share the same last name and Ace is headed to the Jazz, he and Thurl aren't related. Thurl's son Brendan followed in his father's ball playing footsteps, however. Most recently, he played in SZTE-Szedeak Szeged as part of Hungary's A Division.
The move came after Brendan graduated from Marquette University in 2020.
Ace was making waves in the NCAA for the accomplishments he garnered playing for the New Jersey based Rutgers ball club. The 6'10, Chattanooga, Tenn. hoopers was actively being approached by scouts long before he signed with a university.
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That's because he was an absolute force on the court while he was playing for McEachern High School in Georgia, averaging some 32.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game.
It's a momentum that he carried along with him into 2023 and 2024, where he earned the Mr. Basketball title and showcased his skills in the McDonald's All-American Game, along with the Nike Hoop summit and Jordan Brand Classic.
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Once entering the college circuit, he never slowed down either. Ace immediately started his first 30 games once he was enrolled, averaging a staggering 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds across the near three dozen appearances.
Source: Instagram | @acebailey
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Distinctions followed: Ace was put into the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Third-Team All-Big Ten groups. If basketball fans weren't aware of Ace's prominence on the court before, these accolades certainly made their ears perk up.
And he certainly had a lot of help becoming enamored with the game from an early age. His mother, Ramika McGee hooped for her West Virginia University college team and also had a stint in the WNBA.
Furthermore, his father, Richard Bailey played ball for the University of Houston.
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Source: Instagram | @acebailey
Richard took an active role in Ace's development growing up, helping to shape his son's understanding of the game along with training his footwork and comprehension of how to assess player placement on the court to get the ball to the hole.
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Ace's aunt, Venus Lacy is also one of the most accomplished female basketball players of all time. She earned a gold medal for America in the 1996 Summer Olympics and would go on to play for the WNBA. Venus is also attributed as being a big influence on Ace's development as a highly sought professional in the NBA.
> Ace Bailey's representation joined @FOS_Today to dispel rumors about Bailey not wanting to play for the Utah Jazz.
Full conversation ⬇️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 27, 2025
Source: X | @FOS
Praise and excitement has been heaped upon Ace already, even from fellow NBA standouts as well. Kevin Durant has commended Bailey's rise as "incredible to watch." Furthermore, Andrew Witlieb has gone on the record to dispel any notions that Ace isn't anything but stoked to play for the Utah Jazz, too.