Former Jazz Great Bailey Speaks in Los Angeles

Bishop Al Coleman, Director of African-American Relations, looks on as Thurl Bailey autographs a basketball for a fan at the conclusion of the fireside. More than 600 people filled the LDS chapel in Carson, California, on Sunday, September 18, eagerly anticipating a glimpse of former NBA star Thurl (Big T) Bailey. The custom with many celebrities is to be fashionably late, waiting until the room or building is filled. But this was not the case that night: Big T walked into the chapel at 6:50 p.m. surrounded by the African-American Relations team of the Southern California Public Affairs Council—which hosts a fireside every other month—towering above them and everyone else in the sanctuary with his 6-foot 11-inch frame. He warmly greeted a few that were in his path to the front of the chapel, then took his place on the stand, simply sitting there waiting for the meeting to begin. Bailey was kind, entertaining, and inspirational in his comments, telling the story of being a 6-foot 3-inch 13-year-old with no interest in basketball until the day he passed by the living room as his father was watching an NBA game on television. He glanced at the screen and saw something that made him stand up and take notice. He exclaimed “Who is that?” His father responded, as if Thurl should have known who it was, “That’s Dr. J.” Seeing Julius Irving do things with the basketball that he did not know could be done, Thurl Bailey's interest in the game was born that day. Big T began playing more basketball, imagining that he was Dr. J., like millions of kids have, trying to imitate the moves he saw on T.V. His heart would be broken when he was cut two years in a row from the school basketball team. His dreams would be shattered when after the second cut, the coach would tell Bailey that he was not cut out for basketball and not to waste anybody’s time by trying out for the team next year. The coach’s time would not be wasted the following year, because he was no longer coaching at that school. Thurl gave it one more try with the new coach. This time, his name was the first name on the “made it” list. The new coach told Bailey that he saw potential in him and that he had a lot of work to do. He believed in Thurl. Bailey took the audience on a historical journey that saw him go from a tall, skinny kid who did not know anything about basketball, through one of the most memorable national college basketball championships, to the first time he stepped onto an NBA court—where he was tapped on the shoulder and turned around to see Dr. J extending a hand of congratulations on an incredible finish to his collegiate year and of welcome to the professional basketball league. The culmination of this dream would eventually lead him to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After his years with the Utah Jazz, Bailey was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He spoke of his two years there and then his release, which caused him to accept an offer to play for a team in Greece. The experience there would not be a good one for the Bailey family, and they were determined to stay in the United States and find an NBA team to play for. That’s when the offer from Italy came in. Not sure why he accepted the offer, he went to Italy, with his wife joining him after several weeks. Feeling very much alone, he asked his wife, who is a Latter-day Saint, to help him contact the missionaries—whom he had spoken with on many occasions in Utah—just so he could have someone he could communicate with while in Milan. Bailey, the missionaries, and the mission president would form a bond that was instrumental in his being baptized on December 31, 1995. The next Southern California Public Affairs Council African-American Relations fireside will be held on November 13 at 7 p.m. at the LDS meetinghouse behind the Los Angeles Temple at 10740 Ohio Avenue, Los Angeles. All are welcome to attend.