Ace Bailey entered the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the best prospects in the class and was widely projected to go No. 3 overall. However, he reportedly did not want to be drafted by any of the top five teams. When the Utah Jazz still picked him fifth overall, rumors surfaced that he might be unhappy with his team.
While Bailey has proven the rumors wrong and is set to represent the Jazz at the Summer League, his controversial agent, Omar Cooper, has largely remained quiet since his client was drafted. Here’s more about the agent.
Get To Know Ace Bailey’s Agent Omar Cooper
Cooper is the founder and CEO of LifeStyle Sports Agency, which represents Bailey and other athletes. The rookie met Cooper while playing on his Athletes of Tomorrow basketball team, and the two struck a chord, convincing Bailey to move from Tennessee to Georgia in high school to be closer to him.
His agent is Omar Cooper.
Cooper isn’t just any other agent – he’s Sharife Cooper’s dad.
Sharife was a McDonald’s All-American, destined for the lottery, until his status unraveled due to off-court baggage tied to family influence.pic.twitter.com/RUlSEXhgUP
— Kicks (@kicks) June 27, 2025
The move eventually paid off, as Cooper helped Bailey develop his skills and connect with Rutgers as a recruit out of high school.
“The plan was to keep Ace in the gym 24/7,” Cooper said, via Kevin Armstrong of NJ Advanced Media. “For the most part, it was sunup to sundown for him to be able to turn the corner.”
In his only college basketball season, Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Most draft experts rated him as the No. 3 overall prospect, but due to pre-draft concerns, the Philadelphia 76ers, who owned that pick, selected V.J. Edgecombe instead.
When Bailey was selected by the Jazz, Cooper posted a short note on Instagram: “Congratulations @acebailey @utahjazz Letsssss Goooooo.”
Whether that was genuine excitement or not, Cooper has remained silent on negative reports regarding Bailey.
Omar Cooper’s Son Played in the NBA
Cooper is better known as the father of Sharife Cooper, the former Auburn Tigers star. Sharife played just 12 games at Auburn in 2021, averaging 20.2 points and 8.1 assists before declaring for the NBA Draft.
ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, who covered Auburn that season, believes Sharife made a mistake leaving college early. Fraschilla tweeted:
“Sharife played 12 games as a Tiger, averaging 20 & 8, before leaving school. I said on a broadcast that season that had he stayed as a sophomore, he would have contended for National Player of the Year, throwing lobs to Jabari Smith, Jr. & Walker Kessler. A likely 1st pick. He’s now in France.”
Sharife was drafted in the second round by Atlanta in 2021 but never found NBA success. He currently plays for JDA Dijon in France’s top league. Meanwhile, his Auburn teammates Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler became first-round NBA picks after staying in college longer.
Sharife Cooper’s Twin Is Reportedly a Guest Coach For the Utah Jazz At the Summer League
Cooper has three children: daughter Te’a and twin sons Sharife and Omar Jr. While Sharife played in the NBA for less than a season, Te’a played two seasons in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks and is now playing overseas for Tarbes Gespe Bigorre in France.
Meanwhile, Omar Jr. also plays basketball and spent two seasons at McNeese State. He started 27 games in 2023-24 and helped the team reach the NCAA tournament as a No. 12 seed but was limited to just 11 games in his final season.
Omar Jr. made headlines after recently appearing as a guest coach at the Jazz’s Summer League practice, adding further intrigue to his father’s polarizing image.