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Guard · 1977–79

Gus Bailey

UTEP prepared Bailey for a second-round call in the 1974 NBA draft, 23rd overall to the Houston Rockets, with the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors drafting him the same year. He spent his first seasons in Houston, moved on to the New Orleans Jazz in the late 1970s, and finished with the Washington Bullets in 1979-80, playing 147 NBA games in all.

His life ended violently. In November 1988 Bailey was found dead in his New Orleans apartment with multiple stab wounds after an argument with the woman who lived with him, and she was charged with his murder. He was 37 and working as a sales representative for a spring water company.

HOW HE CAME & WENTHe played only two games in the franchise's last New Orleans season before being waived.

Full name
Augustus Bailey
New Orleans Jazz tenure
1977–79
Position
Guard
Born
1951, Dallas
Died
1988
Height
6′5″ (196 cm)
Weight
185 lb (84 kg)
College
Texas-El Paso
Drafted
1974, 2nd round, Houston
Signature in the archive photo NBA Jazz Rockets Bullets Murdered in 1988 at 37 LOA

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

GUS BAILEY · 1977–79 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
1977–78NOJ489.43.21.70.80.40.3.424.552
1978–79NOJ24.52.01.01.00.00.0.286
JAZZ TOTAL2 SEASONS509.23.21.70.80.40.3.418.552

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

GUS BAILEY · 5 NOTES
  • Came out of UTEP, the program whose 1966 title team changed college basketball.
  • His brother James Bailey was a first-round NBA pick.
  • Born in Gibson, North Carolina, he finished high school at Burgess in El Paso, which set him up to stay in town for UTEP.
  • Houston took him 23rd in the 1974 draft, a class headed by Bill Walton that produced twelve future All-Stars.
  • He sat out the entire 1976-77 season before the New Orleans Jazz brought him back to the league.