Crossroads freshman guard Solomon “Solo” Bailey has basketball in his DNA. Having a mother who played division I softball in college and a father who played pro basketball, Bailey has been emersed in sports since a young age. Throughout his life, Bailey moved frequently as his father competed in several different countries.
As he got older, Bailey began training alongside his parents.
“I literally woke up at six in the morning every morning with my dad to train,” Bailey said. “All throughout middle school every day we’d wake up, go to the gym at six, come back, eat breakfast and then I go to school.”
Before the age of 13, Bailey dunked for the first time. His highlight reels showcase his vertical and his ability to attack the paint. He takes on this style of play to make sure that his offensive effort is effective.
“Shooting is cool, but it’s 50/50,” Bailey said. “It’s a certainty when you go to the basket that you’re going to score.”
Bailey plays for the Compton Magic, the same team that NBA champion Jordan Bell and Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu played for. Since he started playing for the Compton Magic, Bailey has gotten exposure to several college coaches.
“They have the best resources of anything that I’ve ever played for,” Bailey said.
Like his father, Bailey was able to show off his basketball skills overseas. Bailey earned a spot on the USA Boys U14 National Team, allowing him to compete in the Asian Pacific Cup tournament in Singapore. His efforts earned him MVP honors.
“We played teams from Australia, China, Japan, then I got MVP,” Bailey said. “And I was 12.”
Bailey knows that academics must come first, his favorite class is history with a special interest in Greek mythology. Bailey also enjoys creating music, skateboarding, and painting. He mentioned how he took his first art class when he was in kindergarten.
“It’s like a stress reliever, it helps me stay creative,” Bailey said. “It’s something different, not a lot of people that play basketball can say they paint.”
Bailey recently participated in the CP3 National Middle School Combine, a coach told him to avoid distractions while playing basketball.
“He told me to play my game, I can’t focus on anything but what I can control,” Bailey said. “Don’t talk to the refs, just play my game and stay focused on what I got to do and get my job done.”
At Crossroads, Bailey hopes to win a state championship and become a McDonalds All American. Bailey also has experience running track and looks to pursue the sport during his high school years in the 100m and 200m events.
During his time in Singapore and Indonesia, Bailey volunteered to help the homeless.
“There was a lot of poor kids, homeless kids and we donated clothes, we donated food,” Bailey said. “In California I do work with a lot of homeless shelters; I go donate stuff with my dad and talk to the foster kids.”
