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Sheldon Bailey Interview

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Game Shakers’ actor Sheldon Bailey has recently made headlines after it was announced that he would be featured in Space Jam 2, as LeBron James’ body double. Last year, Bailey spoke with The Hype Magazine about how he has been able to travel all around the world and playing LeBron in numerous projects.

“For the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to be a body double for LeBron James.  This role has taken me all over the country and across the world and it has put me in direct contact with some of the best directors and producers in the world. Even though I had a lot of fun playing  Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard in the past, there is no comparison to the work I have gotten as  LeBron James. Being his body double has done so much more for my career.”

This time around Bailey, talked with us about his upcoming that he independently produced entitled “Adulting.” He also weighs-in on DeMarcus Cousins ACL injury because it is something he went through twice, and Dwyane Wade announced his retirement from the NBA.

Can you talk about your experience on the journey to winning the King of the Underdogs tournament?

Oh man, that was cool because I won King of Rock back in the day.  I also qualified for the world championships on four different occasions. So, I won the San Diego competition twice, I was a runner up in Los Angeles, and then I finally won LA the fourth year. So, I was runner up in Los Angeles two different times before winning it on the fourth try, which was the Red Bull King of the Rock.  I think the last time we participated in the contest was in 2015 before it went overseas.  I was very excited to play in one on one competition because I know I am good at It. So, I had the experience from competing before and used it to my advantage in the tournament.  It was a little different format, but still, at the end of the day, it was one on one basketball. I’m just a tough matchup, and during the first three games, my opponents were unable to score a basket. It’s difficult for people to keep from scoring, and I play great defense.

What is the difference between the Chinese Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association in terms of travel and hospitality?

The Chinese Basketball Association is excellent, and the ABA is historical, but it is not the league from the 1970s that was in serious competition with the NBA. The Chinese Basketball Association is the NBA of China, and it’s broadcasted throughout China.  We travel commercial flights around the country and receive a very sizeable amount of gear, packaging, and other perks. So, out of all the leagues I have played in that was the highest level of everything. As far as professionalism, arenas all of that, when I played in the ABA, might be in the venue in Rochester, New York playing, in front of 8,000 people, then the next game we are in a community center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You never knew what your playing conditions would be playing in the ABA. The money is different in both leagues and the process of going through a camp and getting draft in China, while the ABA doesn’t have that process.

You were featured in NBA 2k on three separate occasions, including the last two years as the voice of ATM in My Player mode. Will You be resuming that role in NBA 2K 20?

I won’t be in 2k20 this year as ATM,  but there is a strong possibility that you will see ATM back in the 2k Franchise in the future.

What has been the best part collaborating with Ronnie 2k and the rest of the team?

I haven’t collaborated with Ronnie 2k yet, and that is something I would like to do in the future. I want to establish more of a relationship with them on the marketing a publicity side. As far as, all the developers and the producers, I know their families, and they know mine, and it is just a great situation.

You have been working on some music do you know when you will be releasing it?

I want to drop an album by the end of the year, but I do have a few different things on my plate. So, I am just trying to see how things go, and I want to do a title track to my independent project Adulting. So, I plan on releasing that as a single, but people can expect some new music by me by the end of this year.

Are there any features that you are excited about?

I have been working a mixtape with a veteran rapper by the name of Roc C. I will be hosting his mixtape, and then he will be featured on my project. The project with him gives me some more visibility and more marketing ability, but at the same time, it gives me more validity on the music side.  Ron C has been working with Dj Premier and other producers, and there is a level of production I want to reach as well. So, we felt it would be a great partnership to collaborate.

You have been working on an independent on a project called Adulting. Can you talk about what inspired the project?

The next venture that I want to tackle is producing. I’ve wanted to produce for a while now, and I’ve had success in this business, but at the same time as an actor, you must go on auditions and wait for people to authorize things. So, me producing I have the creativity and the relationship to make things happen. Now it’s time for me to grab the bull by the horns and to take advantage of my relationships.

When will that be released to the public?

Just got it back from editing and sent to my manager and we are having a conversation with a television developer, and we are going to see what happens as far as getting it picked up, and the back plan is hit the film festivals and run it as a short film. So, between the two, it will be released by the end of the year either by the film festival or through a development deal.  My next project, I partnered with a company called Cobrainey Media out of Arizona, and the end of the year will release it.  In Arizona and I am really excited about that.

You also support charitable causes annually the Salvation Army, SOS Children’s Villages, St. Anne’s, Project Experience Gratitude, and the Kids’ Venice Basketball League.  Is there anything that you will be involved with later this year?

The Project Experience Gratitude works with The Pentagon to provide entertainment to military troops and their families.

The KVBL is a kids’ basketball league where we help kids develop their basketball skills and life skills. We also teach them about nutrition and making their own smoothies and surfing in the ocean for inner-city kids that wouldn’t get the opportunity to.

The Saint Anne’s MOMs group welcome women from Saint Anne’s who are mothers of young children, offering them many ways to connect and to find support with the challenges inherent in motherhood. They want to open their charitable business to families and fathers. I spoke at their first-ever Father’s Day luncheon, which was a BBQ this past Father’s Day. I’m now involved with things that they are doing publicly or behind the scenes.

You have suffered two ACL injuries in career, and it was recently announced that DeMarcus Cousins would be out for the season with the same injury. Can you share with you how the type of injury takes a toll on your mind, body, and soul?

I feel for DeMarcus because he is a great talent, and I don’t know where his career goes from here. I suffered two ACL injuries, and the first one was tough, and they both were challenging. The second time I thought my career was over. I was like who tears two ACLs and comebacks?  You must be really special, someone like Barron Davis. The surgery is not really the issue, it is the rehabilitation, but once you get past the physical and you maintain your weight and all that other stuff. The thing about DeMarcus too is, he has some bad weight that he should have shed already. If you manage your rehab correctly, then you have the psychological aspect of it. The way I got hurt the second time, I was going up for a dunk, and someone undercut me. There have been times where I’ve been hesitant to dunk the ball still because of that same scenario. It really cost me in the Jordan League under the Eiffel Tower, and I went up for a finger roll and should of dunk it, and we would have won. Instead, It rolled off the rim, and we lost the game.

You have worked as a body double for Dwyane Wade in the past. He recently decided to retire from the NBA.  What are you going to miss the most about D Wade’s game?

People have said that I have been a body double of Dwyane Wade, but I have never been one for D Wade. I have been featured in four different Dwyane Wade commercials. Including my first ever professional acting gig was Dwyane’s first-ever commercial with Converse. It was my first job in the business and his first major commercial. Some of the people that were there were Dr. J, Chris Bosh, Jameer Nelson, Kirk Hinrich, and Michael Sweetney.  All the Converse guys were in attendance it was a great experience. They ended becoming our piece of the commercial out, but I was there with D Wade for a couple of days. I also did a Gatorade commercial with him and two Jordan Commercials with him. I think it was time for him to retire unless he wanted to be relegated to a sixth-man role, but I wish he had never left the Heat the first time. I understand what he was doing in Chicago and Cleveland, but I wish he would have stayed. I really appreciate his career and what he had done for the game of basketball. Also, the city of Miami, and I glad to see him retire as a member of the Miami Heat.

Originally posted on The Hype Magazine.

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Written by Landon Buford

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