Vincent Bailey (201-C/F-1991, college: LMU, agency: BIG) is a 33 year old 198cm forward from Port St Lucie, Florida playing his 10th professional season and first with Randers Cimbria Basketball (Denmark-BasketLigaen) He has played in many countries including Germany, France, Belgium, Morocco, Luxemburg, Peru, Switzerland and Iceland. He spoke to germanhoops.com recently about winning the cup in Denmark and his basketball career.

Thanks Vinnie for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

Hey Miles, nice to hear from you. Basketball life is good, no complaints. Enjoying grinding with a hungry team in Randers Denmark.

Our first interview was in June 2014. How many have we done do you think including this one?

Honestly not sure, probably about 3 or 4 now.

This is our fifth interview. I last interviewed you in 2021 prior to the season and you were playing a exhibition game in Germany in Rostock. Has time flown by for you since then?

Time definitely has flown by! Once you hit that 30 mark it moves at rapid speeds lol.

That season you played for Team FOG Naestved (Denmark-BasketLigaen). This season your in Denmark again. Has Denmark become like a second home for you? Granted you did play some years in Switzerland, but what is so special about Denmark?

To continue playing the game I love and being closer to my significant other was important to me at this stage of my career. Denmark is actually home away from home now.

How did you experience that season? You were one of the oldest together with Palo Bubu. Did you guys have the keys to the team?

It was a challenging season, I really enjoyed playing with Bubu Palo. I got a chance to catch up with him in France last season when I returned to continue playing for Pays Salonis Basket.

You have experienced a lot in the last seasons including sitting out a season. Did you lose love for the game? What did you do in the 2022-2023 season?

I took time to enjoy my family, being away from home long periods of time got very difficult for me. It was a much needed year off for me personally. It also gave me and my wife time to establish our life in Denmark. I coached a bit and also worked on some other ventures I´m very passionate about.

What made you come back in 2023 to come overseas again? Did you have the itch to play again?

Firstly, I live now in Denmark. My wife is Danish, so I was still around I got that itch to come back to the grind, the passion was still there and I felt I had more to give before I hung them completely up.

In the 2023-2024 season you played with Pays Salonais Basket 13 (France-NM2). How tough was that season playing in the fourth league in France? You had never played in such a low league before?

It was a season I enjoyed very much. Coach Sebatian helped me get my legs back under me after not competing a whole year. Loved the team and community there, one of my favorite experiences in Europe actually excluding the level.

How did you experience that season? What did you learn about yourself and the game?

We came up one game away from moving the team up to NM1, lost against Metz in the final 4. I learned I still loved the game and I wasn´t ready to give it up so easily. I also learned that the south of France is one of my favorite places in Europe.

This season your playing with Randers Cimbria Basketball (Denmark-BasketLigaen) and are playing first division basketball again. How blessed are you to be playing at a high level again?

Very fortunate. But staying at this level was not my reasoning for sitting 22-23 season. I had opportunities, but sometimes life hits and you have to slow down and focus on other things that are important to you as a person.

You recently not only won your first pro chip, but also the first in that organizations history. Do you still feel like your on cloud 9?

It was a great team accomplishment. It’s been good playing for coach jeff and Randers. Finding that love for the game again is always a blessing. But we have other goals in mind so we are focused and moving forward to the next mission.

From the celebration pictures, it shows like everyone was very very happy. You had won 2 SAC titles. What does this title mean to you? To what would you compare it to?

Only 2 SAC? I have 3 rings lol but this title means a lot being my first one in Europe. I´m happy I came back to compete this season.

Talk a little about that cup win? What is so special about this season´s team?

The Cup win was amazing, like any team we’ve had our challenges throughout this season to help us grow as a team. We stick together through adversity. We are a unit, we want each other to win and we grind each day to push each other towards our goals.

Randers is holding strong this season currently in 5th place at 12-6. Your ex team Naestved and Svendborg are at the top. Do you guys have what it takes to make another run

Let’s find out, lots of basketball to be played.

You already beat Naestved by 18 points and you had a 9/5/3 game. How valuable was that win for the confidence level of the team?

We treat each game the same, with the same mentality. Our confidence is built in training the days before the game.

The team has a lot of skilled Americans including Marquis Addison. How thrilling is it being his teammate and what do you appreciate most about his game?

It’s dope to be on the same team as Marquis. We actually played in the 2014 D2 Reeses All American game together coming out of college and a few games against each other in Swiss, so it´s cool being teammates rather than opponents this go round.

Your only averaging 16,9 minutes per game, but averaging 8/3/1 stats. What kind of a role do you have this season?

I have more of a vet/leader role. Come in and effect winning, whether it be on offense or defense.

Was it a tough adjustment averaging up to 15 minutes less than in previous seasons?

Most definitely.

How valuable is it for you now being efficient? You are showing no problems of it?

I´m never one to be a cancer to a team, I’ll contribute any way the coach sees fit. But it’s definitely been a huge adjustment for me considering I’ve always been a starter playing 25+ mins in my career. But I´m good with how we are working as a team.

You played your rookie season in Germany in Vechta. Do you ever come back to visit? Do you have a favorite place in Germany besides Vechta?

I haven´t been back to Vechta in years! But love the community and basketball fans there. Me and my wife visit the Hamburg Christmas market every year with a small drive from Denmark to Germany. So I have to say Hamburg is my favorite place in Germany so far.

Many of your former Vechta teammates are retired, but Kevin Smit is still playing born in 1991 like you? Who do you think will hang it up first you or him?

Haha, great question. I loved playing with Kev, he is a go getter. I see me probably hanging them up before him.

Thanks Vincent for the chat