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Oh, damn....now I can get a Bailey jersey that isn't a cheezy personalized one!
Cool!
Lathrop grad signs with Spurs
By DANNY MARTIN
Staff Writer
http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,...74224,00.html#
Thursday, September 29, 2005 - Bill Bailey said his younger brother, Kyle, has dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association since he was 8 years old.
Kyle Bailey's dream took a giant step on Tuesday when the former standout point guard for Lathrop High School and Santa Clara University signed a contract with the defending NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs.
"It's real great, obviously, to have the opportunity to play," Kyle Bailey said from San Antonio on Tuesday. "But at the same time, I haven't fully realized it yet."
Bailey, who spent four weeks in tryout sessions with the Spurs in San Antonio, said he signed a standard-scale, one-year contract for a free agent who is in his first year out of college. He didn't disclose the terms of the deal, but he said, "I won't be pressed for money."
The money, though, will be reality if the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder makes the Spurs' final roster, as his contract isn't guaranteed.
"It's a very unstable situation, as far as they can cut me anytime between now and the start of the regular season," he said. "It doesn't mean I'm on the team."
It does mean he'll be in training camp with the Spurs when it opens Oct. 4 at the St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands, and that he may get the opportunity to play in the preseason opener against the Miami Heat in Florida on Oct. 10.
"Going to the Virgin Islands, playing the Miami Heat in an exhibition game and getting to see American Airlines Arena and (Heat guard) D. Wade and (center) Shaquille O'Neal," Bailey said. "It's going to be crazy."
The contract with the Spurs also means the 23-year-old is in rare company, as he's the first player from the Interior to sign an NBA contract, and only the third Alaskan to do so.
Former Duke University stars Trajan Langdon of Anchorage and Carlos Boozer of Juneau were respective draft picks of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 29-year-old Langdon, an East Anchorage graduate and 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft, spent three seasons with Cleveland and the last three seasons with pro teams in Italy, Turkey and Moscow. The 6-4 guard is entering his first season with CSKA Moscow.
Boozer, 6-8 and 258 pounds, was selected 35th overall in the second round in 2002. He spent two seasons with the Cavaliers and signed a free-agent contract in July 2004 with the Utah Jazz, with whom he's entering his second season.
Bailey admits it's overwhelming to be practicing with Spurs stars like forward Tim Duncan and guard Michael Finley, but he's battling for a roster spot among four other point guards. He said the team is expected to carry only two point guards on guaranteed contracts during the regular season.
"I can't be intimidated by the fact that these are NBA players,'' Bailey said. "I still have to go out and perform. But at the same time, playing with all those guys is unbelievable.''
Bailey was in another NBA city--Seattle--when he got a tryout with the Spurs.
Bailey said he tried out for a pro team in Japan but didn't get called back. On Aug. 31, he was on his way to Fairbanks to visit his family when he had a layover at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. A scout with the Spurs, who had seen him play for Santa Clara, contacted him there on his cell phone and invited him to try out with the Spurs in San Antonio.
About a week after visiting with his family, he headed to Texas for his first tryout.
Spurs officials were impressed and invited him back a week later for another tryout. A third followed and then a fourth, during which he was offered the contract.
Bailey said a Spurs assistant coach told him San Antonio's coaching staff was impressed with his work ethic and character as much as his athletic ability.
Bailey finished his career at Santa Clara as the Broncos all-time leader in games played (127), minutes played (3,897) and three-point attempts (679). He ranks second all-time in three-point field goals (225), third in steals (196) and fourth for assists (452). He was a first-team All-West Coast Conference selection in 2001-02 and an honorable-mention selection last season, when he was the team's assists leader with 4.2 per game and second in scoring (14.8), less than a point a game behind team leader and then-senior guard Doron Perkins, a Bartlett graduate.
"There's good people on this team," Bailey said of the Spurs. "All the players speak to you and there's no prima donnas. They're all pretty much jeans and T-shirts type of guys and the coaches are the same way--down to earth.
"Being from Fairbanks, Alaska, I fit in with that mode."
He hopes, too, to fit in playing wise and earn a final roster spot.
Bailey said that even if he's cut, he'll cherish the opportunity to fulfill a dream.
"So many people have big dreams and not everybody pursues them or gets an opportunity to pursue them," he said. "Whether I made it or I didn't make it, when I'm an old man and I can't walk, I look back on this and know that I had the opportunity, I had a dream and I went for it."
Oh, damn....now I can get a Bailey jersey that isn't a cheezy personalized one!
Cool!
im down with it
do you think he is here to give tony a rest before the regular season?
i mean how much chance has this guy to crack the roster. he would be a good training camp addition. tony could have a special light program to rest after the euro.
and then next year bring this young fella back.
i am just frustrated. i want to hear they sign a wing!!!
uh who?
another freaking point guard, I have a feeling this guy will be riding the Patella tendonitis bench with Rasho
There won't be anymore Patella tendonitis anymore anywhere in the league!
Yes there will be, we have technically 4 players right now that can play the point, and we got another one??? what kind of crap is that? We need big guys that can play the center position or the Small foward position not guards god damn it
No there won't.
There isn't an Injured List anymore.
I'm saying though why do we have to sign so many damn Guards, we need fowards if anything,
Nice article find, spurschick!
Bailey has a similar % of a chance as Jim Carey did in Dumb and Dumber. Beno was dinged up in Eurobasket and may need more recovery time. The Spurs like 3 complete squads in training camp.
One or two misunderstandings in the article. The Spurs won't have 2 PGs with guaranteed contracts during the regular season, they will have at least 3 with TP, Nick and Beno. The writer probably meant to say 2 PGs on the active 12-man roster, and that may not even be the case. The writer also said Kyle will be competing with 4 other PGs. Is it actually 4 others or 4 including Kyle? There may be another new PG invited besides Kyle, but we'll see by Monday.
4 PG plus Manu and Barry
Tonyˇˇˇˇˇˇˇ: Pop in the Phone
Training camp fodder. The Spurs still have to sign a couple of other guys to play minutes in preseason games and to give the front-liners a rest during camp. They'll cut almost all of them (ala Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje or James Thomas last year) but there's a chance that someone (ala Mike Wilks) will stick.
With the injuries surrounding Parker and Beno and with Nick's age, I could see the merit, though, in keeping 4 guards on the roster all year (not on the active roster, but among the 14-15 guys the Spurs will keep). Got to have someone to practice, after all.
this guy didn't even get the contract in Japan...
barry and beno still could be on the block!
I don't think that the signing of Kyle Barnes changes anything with respect to the Spurs plans for Barry and Beno. If they weren't on the block two days ago, this signing doesn't mean that they're now on the block again.
It's not magic: every player who signs a Spurs contract does not become a legitimate player who can be counted on to play a role for a contender.
Just FYI, This isn't official yet (no announcement from the Spurs). I wonder if it's a partially guaranteed contract ... or not guaranteed at all.
But what if they were?If they weren't on the block two days ago, this signing doesn't mean that they're now on the block again.
Regardless, this kid sounds like the spurs type. A down to earth type of guy who doesn't care about the fame. He just wants to fulfill a dream and I am glad to hear he is.
what now the Spurs have charity positions. Making people's dreams come true?
Make my dream come true and I'll be the waterboy for $75,000 a year.
I'll do it! I will be down to earth too.
(edited)
you know in second thought: "get your own water Timmy!"
Last edited by minusplus; 09-29-2005 at 11:13 AM.
I wonder the status of Beno's injury. Every player that I've heard them working out lately (Aaron Miles before he signed with Wiz, etc) have all been PGs.
Fine, complicate my point!!!But what if they were?
Let me rephrase: I suspect Brent and Beno might be on the block (whether again or still), but not because the Spurs may or may not sign Kyle Barnes; and I don't think the Spurs may or may not sign Kyle Barnes because Brent and Beno might be on the block.
In this case, Barnes is neither the chicken nor the egg.
I hate to ask a stupid question but have some of the players been having informal practices? I ask because Finley usually works out and plays in Chicago during the off season. I would love to know he's been in SA getting adjusted with some of the new guys on his own.
I'm sure the Spurs would like to avoid the problems they had two seasons ago, so they might keep this guy around until everyone is healed. I'll give myself a kluby for saying the Spurs would do well to look for a fourth point, even though it's just common sense. Hope he defends well; definintely not a shooter.
Now you got all flustered and changed his last name to Barnes.Fine, complicate my point!!!
Let me rephrase: I suspect Brent and Beno might be on the block (whether again or still), but not because the Spurs may or may not sign Kyle Barnes; and I don't think the Spurs may or may not sign Kyle Barnes because Brent and Beno might be on the block.
In this case, Barnes is neither the chicken nor the egg.
I agree, his signing doesn't mean they are going to trade anyone. It's just someone for training camp, who might stick (or not).
Kyle Barnes? Is he any relation to Anthony Harper?
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