Amari Bailey mom Amari Bailey mom Basketball can be a family business — and for Amari Bailey’s family, the dream of NBA success has been a...
Amari Bailey mom
Amari Bailey mom Basketball can be a family business — and for Amari Bailey’s family, the dream of NBA success has been a long time coming.
Bailey is one of the most promising basketball players in the class of 2022. Currently playing for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins, the 18-year-old shooting guard could be headed for the NBA one day — potentially as soon as his first season with the Bruins concludes.
Amid Bailey’s rise to the top of his game, his mother, Johanna Leia, has been one of his fiercest cheerleaders in helping him succeed.
“Being a single mother I always wondered how you’ve been able to do the stuff that you’ve done for our family,” the college student praised Leia, 41, via Instagram in May 2020. “Thank you for having those conversations that I didn’t always wanna hear or have and thank you for keeping our beautiful family as one unit. Not a lot of people know about our roller coaster journey. Trust none of this was sweet at all.”
He added: “Your resiliency is more admirable in my life and day-to-day than you may know. Thank you for always being a shoulder I can cry. Our best friend relationship throws many off but I wouldn’t want it any other way tbh😭😭. Not many people if any can say that they have a mother that holds their morals and values. Love u lots mamabear💕.”
The single mother is notable in her own right as a former model, who’s been in the headlines herself due to her career as a reality TV star and a social media influencer.
Leia raised her son — whom she shares with ex Aaron Bailey — in Chicago before eventually moving her brood out West. The Just Living founder and the 50-year-old former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, who also share a 7-year-old daughter Savanna, eventually split. Details have not been publicly shared.
While Leia and Aaron continued co-parenting their kids, Leia has been the NBA recruit’s No. 1 fan — frequently cheering him on courtside and on social media.
“Honestly, it’s crazy [but] it’s been a long time coming,” she gushed of her son’s success during a radio interview on Chicago’s “The Morning Show 107.5 WGCI” in March. “We left Chicago right before he was supposed to go to high school and Chicago’s paving the way for basketball … and now he’s going to UCLA, it doesn’t get any better.”
Leia, who founded her own sports marketing firm, added: “What’s so dope about UCLA is they are actually supporting their athletes [who] can actually be in uniform. So, he can wear a 10 jersey with UCLA on it and come get a check.”
After the family’s West Coast move, Amari joined the Sierra Canyon High School basketball team — alongside LeBron James’ son Bronny James. While on the team as a freshman, Amari helped the squad win the Open Division state title.
Amari’s basketball prowess even helped him earn the title of Mr. California — given to the best high school basketball player in the state — in February, and Lebron, 37, showed his support. “Congrats Nephew!!! Proud of you kid 🏆,” the Lakers athlete tweeted at the time.
Who Is Amari Bailey?
During the NCAA basketball recruiting season this year, Amari was one of the most sought-after players. He was a five-star recruit, which means he was picked by everyone. This made him a part of an elite and competitive club. College coaches had been watching him for a long time before he decided to play for the Bruins.
Even before he went to high school, scouts were interested in basketball player. Amari promised to play for DePaul University when he was in eighth grade, but he changed his mind the next year. Amari promised to play for UCLA when he was a freshman in high school, but he changed his mind when coach Steve Alford was fired. In the end, Amari chose UCLA, and on February 17, 2021, he signed a contract to play for the Bruins.
Basketball can be a family business, and Amari Bailey's family has been waiting a long time for their dream of making it to the NBA.
Bailey is one of the 2022 class's most promising basketball players. The 18-year-old shooting guard is currently playing for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins. He could go to the NBA one day, maybe as soon as the end of his first season with the Bruins.
Bailey's mother, Johanna Leia, has been one of his biggest supporters as he has risen to the top of his game.
The college student praised Leia, 41, on Instagram in May 2020, saying, "As a single mother, I've always wondered how you were able to do all the things you've done for our family." "Thank you for having those conversations I didn't always want to hear or have, and thank you for keeping our beautiful family as one unit. A lot of people don't know about our wild ride. Believe me, none of this was at all sweet."
He also said, "Your strength is more impressive to me in my life and day-to-day activities than you may know. Thank you for always letting me cry on your shoulder. People are surprised by the fact that we are best friends, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Not many, if any, people can say that their mother has the same morals and values as them. Love u lots mamabear💕."
The single mother is well-known in her own right because she used to be a model and has been in the news for her work as a reality TV star and a social media influencer.
Leia raised her son, whom she has with her ex-husband Aaron Bailey, in Chicago before moving out West with her family. The founder of Just Living and the former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, who is 50 years old and has a 7-year-old daughter with her, eventually broke up. Details haven't been made public.
Leia and Aaron kept taking care of their kids together, but Leia has been the NBA recruit's biggest fan, cheering him on at games and on social media.
In March, she gushed about her son's success on Chicago's "The Morning Show 107.5 WGCI," saying, "Honestly, it's crazy, but it's been a long time coming." "We left Chicago right before he was supposed to start high school, and Chicago is paving the way for basketball. Now he's going to UCLA, and it doesn't get any better than that."
Leia, who started her own sports marketing company, added, "What's so cool about UCLA is that they actually support their athletes, who can be in uniform. So he can wear a No. 10 UCLA jersey and get a check."
After his family moved to the West Coast, Amari joined the Sierra Canyon High School basketball team, where he played with Bronny James, who is LeBron James's son. As a freshman on the team, Amari helped the team win the state title in the Open Division.
Amari is so good at basketball that in February, he was named Mr. California, which is given to the best high school basketball player in the state. Lebron, who is 37 years old, was there to cheer him on. "Congratulations, Nephew! The Lakers player tweeted at the time, "Proud of you, kid!"
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Scroll down to find out why Leia is making waves of her own while she cheers on her famous son:
Who is the Basketball Star? Amari Bailey Mom What Do You Know About Johanna? Leia
Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press/Shutterstock
What makes Johanna Leia famous?
Amari's success has been a long time coming for Leia, who is a single mum. The former Ford model and influencer has been working towards this moment for a long time as she has helped build Amari's platform.
Does Johanna Leia also like to play basketball?
Leia is an entrepreneur and influential person who works hard, but she doesn't seem to be as cool as her son. Instead, she focuses on running her talent agency, Just Living, which works with up-and-coming athletes, and on sitting courtside to watch Amari's games.
Do Johanna Leia and Han Solo have any other kids?
In 2015, Leia and Aaron had a daughter named Savanna. All of the athletes in the family have their own Instagram accounts that are growing. They post regularly about their lives on and off the court.
Has Johanna Leia ever been on reality TV?
Leia not only helped Amari with his career, but she also helped him show off his skills in front of the cameras long before college scouts showed up. Their family was featured on the 2017 Lifetime reality show Bringing Up Ballers. The show followed five families in Chicago as they helped their sons get better at basketball. The show was a mix of Basketball Wives and Dance Moms. It was a typical reality show, and the moms often fought behind the scenes.
Who has dated Johanna Leia?
Leia seems happy to let Amari get most of the attention, but when it comes to her love life, she has gotten some attention.
After being with the ex-football player for a long time, Leia was linked to Drake last year. At the time, it was said that the 35-year-old musician who sang "Hotline Bling" had rented out Dodger Stadium for a private dinner date in July 2021. In October, their relationship came to an end. Ja Morant, a player for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been linked to Leia since then, but neither of them has confirmed that they are dating.
Bringing Up Ballers didn't become the next big reality show hit when it ended in 2017, but one thing was clear: Amari was unique. Most of the other players on the show were already in their teens, but Amari was only 12 when he was brought on, and he showed that he could compete with the best.
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