Court-side Creativity with Bailey

Bailey Mincer - Art Director at Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

After joining the Cavs in 2019, Bailey was promoted numerous times and in July 2024 was officially named the Art Director.

There is no question that basketball in Cleveland is big. We love our sports and our resident NBA team is no exception to the undying dedication Clevelanders have to their hometown. The Cleveland Cavaliers are as much a representation of our city as anyone and the community wears their team pride like a badge of honor. It is all about community, especially for those who work hard behind the scenes to make the team a success and provide us all with a sense of belonging.

Bailey Mincer, the art Director of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group, knows all too well what it’s like to give her all to Cleveland sports. She not only sees, but understands the roles that passion and dedication play in our local sports fandoms and lets them influence her creativity to create memorable and thoughtful work to represent the team and brand. She both literally and figuratively sits front row to watch the Cavs represent our great city and gets to work with the entire community to create connections that last.

After taking photoshop classes in high school and being introduced to the design professions, she knew graphic design was the perfect fit for her. She really leaned into the business side as well as the artistic aspects and fully immersed herself into the idea of becoming a graphic designer. Bailey knows this isn’t the path for everyone saying, “I feel very lucky that I decided as a sixteen year old that I wanted to go to college for graphic design and over ten years later I am still doing it and still loving it. Honestly, a huge part of my success has a lot of luck involved.”

A lifelong sports fan and athlete herself, she never imagined her passions could lead to a dream career. Originally planning to do graphic design for an agency or corporate group, she soon found herself stumbling upon the world of sports again in adulthood. During her senior year of college, she was looking for jobs and internships with an emphasis on interning since she strongly desired exploration before taking a permanent position somewhere. Ultimately, her search led to an internship with Major League Baseball and Bailey began working at the office of the commissioner in New York City for six months after graduation.

Bailey and Cavs center Jarrett Allen.

Her re-exposure to the world of sports through networking and other opportunities led her to realize that her love for the industry could extend to her work. She learned more about roles in design and how she could do the work she loved within the industry she had always admired. From her internship, she applied and was accepted to work for the Cleveland Cavaliers and jumped at her chance to be up close and personal with a team she had much to learn about. She said, “It was an opportunity to work in basketball, which I have always been a big fan of, and now I am going into my seventh season with the Cavs which sounds crazy to say.”

Since beginning her work with the Cavaliers, Bailey has been promoted from Graphic Designer to Senior Graphic Designer, and finally to Art Director. Opportunities for growth continue to present themselves and now, leading the team she once worked on herself, she understands the responsibility she has to others to help them achieve the same. 

Bailey credits her time with the team to the opportunities it has provided her and how much she has learned during her experience. She elaborated on the energy and excitement that can come from a role that offers growth and education along with responsibility. “It’s part of what has kept me so engaged and eager to continue to contribute to the organization because even the organization itself has grown a ton in the past six seasons since I started,” she told us.

Growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a University of Virginia fan, Bailey decided on Miami of Ohio’s graphic design program. She compared the environment of a city with no professional sports teams to our passionate and die-hard city of fans saying, “I had never been to Cleveland when I moved here for the job. I drove here with a Uhaul, my first time in the city. You see it in different doses in different cities, there are some where sports is just the main thing. Cleveland is very well rounded but sports are kind of the main thing here. The base level of knowledge about the NBA in Cleveland has to be possibly the highest in the country.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers Forest City Collection which was inspired by Cleveland's past Era of being heavily forested.

Her outside perspective being someone who didn’t grow up with this level of sport culture allows her to not only see the energy for what it truly is, but to appreciate it on a deeper level. There is so much opportunity for connection and shared passion. She considers herself lucky saying, “It is cool to be in a city where people care so much about sports and then to be in the middle of that myself.”

Lots of Clevelanders can recognize and acknowledge the value of our city, but for someone who hasn’t grown up in that environment, it becomes even more of an achievement for our city to make an impression. The same goes for our teams and how they not only represent our community, but how our community represents them. Bailey said it best, "There's so much pride even when there's not success. Clevelanders show up for their teams and the culture behind it. I’ve been exposed to all the other aspects of Cleveland too and there's so much to be proud of. Like the rock history, Cleveland Metroparks, and Playhouse Square which are kind of adjacent things that we’ve been able to inject into the Cavs brand. As an outsider, my role requires me to have pride in Cleveland and showcase these stories so it feels like being called upon to be proud of these things and you can feel it. Cleveland has become a home for me now.”

We talked a bit about the City Edition uniforms that the team creates each year and how they are unique to our city in more ways than one. Bailey told us that although all teams have a city edition uniform each year, some focus more on the team's history while ours, like some others, focuses on the stories within the city. “In the past few years, we have viewed it as showcasing Cleveland to the world knowing that the Cavs are one of the biggest platforms that we can take Cleveland and showcase it. Our organization and team really values the opportunity to do what is unexpected of Cleveland. People may have their own perceptions and we take pride in not really worrying about what people think but what we have in front of us and how we can show it off.”

We went on to talk about the other factors that contribute to our uniqueness as a team and a city. Bailey talked about our region and explained a bit about how the Cavaliers cover a rather large area of fans. She said, “With Pittsburgh not having a team and Cincinnati not having a team, we have this pretty big region that fans consider Cleveland the closest team. That's something I view as an underrated aspect of this area and something we like to showcase. People travel just to see a game and it is cool to be at the hub for this pretty large area.”

This blue court is signature of the Cavs' 2024-25 Nike NBA City Edition which was inspired by The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Transitioning into more topics focused on Bailey herself, we dug deeper into how this role has not only changed the way she sees the world of sports, but how it bleeds into everyday life. Although she regularly watched and participated in different sports growing up, especially Virginia sports, the NBA didn’t become a focal point for her until much later in life. However, despite her lack of broad knowledge for all sports, from an early age, Bailey has always shown a passion for the niche, small facts, stats, and moments of the sports she was watching. Citing a Halloween that she once dressed as Teddy Bruschi of the Patriots, she explained her specific knowledge and attention to detail when it comes to being a fan.

Now, with the help of her role, Bailey has more base knowledge of the NBA than most people who have lived in Cleveland cheering on the Cavs all their lives. Whether she finds herself talking with lifelong sports fans or her friends in casual conversation, she mentions players and moments that most are unfamiliar with. Her knowledge is not only impressive, but deeply detailed and laced with a passion for the game and team itself.

As a woman especially, Bailey’s understanding of the sport and how it operates can surprise some. Many expect her to not be able to name the starting five while she can rattle off all the recent trades and adjustments relevant to the exact date. “My base level of sports and NBA knowledge has gone through the roof. It's always cool to have a topic that you're so passionate about or able to speak on at such a high level. Especially making the graphics, I find that it burns it into my memory a little more. Because I’ll remember making a welcome graphic for a random 10-day contract and most people aren’t going to remember that but I had to cut out his face and his name and I remember all those 10-day contracts,” she told us.

Her need to stay up to date on the latest news, changes, and moments puts her directly on the front lines of what is happening, behind the scenes or in front of the public. It not only makes her feel connected to the organization and community, but makes her see, first hand, the value of the work she is putting in.

Some of the many illustrations created by Bailey for the Cavs.

The nature of the role has led Bailey to learn what it is like to roll with the punches and expect the unexpected. It all boils down to connecting the information and players to the fans and community, making the sport accessible to all and keeping all the relevant updates at the forefront of their marketing. She went on to say, “That is one of the things that has gotten easier going through multiple seasons is there is always going to be stuff that catches you off guard. You start to learn that those things do happen, there are always surprises. You find a way to expect the surprises a little more.”

As for her work, Bailey shared that every day is different. Her role continues to evolve and the workload is often dependent on the time of year and action of the moment. As well as contributing to the retail side of things and art direction of collections and launches, her position oversees the graphic teams for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group meaning that the work is often split between the Cavs, Monsters, Charge, Rocket Arena, and the incoming WNBA team. “It is really just so multifaceted,” she said, “My day looks different everyday and I think that’s part of what has kept me so engaged even though this is my seventh season.”

Working closely with the marketing team, they assist with the design elements for social media, digital, video, web, email, billboards, and all other marketing efforts. The projects sometimes feel endless, it is easy for Bailey to appreciate how incredible her work can be. The opportunities with an NBA team are endless and she has had her fair share of wow moments that have stuck around throughout her career so far. 

She told us specifically of a project centered around bringing the team to Paris to play an international game. Although it was two years ago, seeing the logo she designed for the events displayed on so many different things has always stuck with her. Designing the branding as an announcement resulted in it all being made far in advance and by the time the moment came around, the whole team had really become attached.

A look into the Cavs' City Edition photoshoot at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Bailey said about the project, “It was so cool to see my work for an international audience like that. It ended up on custom leather jackets. We did a Cavs coffee shop and it was on the napkins and the floor of the coffee shop. The team gear and stuff too throughout the whole trip to Paris, it was cool to see it all come to life in so many different and unique ways that we don’t traditionally see.”

In general, the feeling of seeing her work plastered on everything from merchandise to billboards is something that still feels out of body for Bailey. Coupled with the fact that her work goes hand in hand with a certain level of celebrity from the players, her work is regularly being seen by not only our entire city and fanbase, but by the world. Unsurprisingly, she is humble about it all saying, “Our team in general really values getting to have those keepsakes or things that showcase the way that our work is utilized. It's a unique position. This range is not something you find in many places.”

With all of the glory of being in this elevated position to create and share art with the world, there are, as with everything, struggles that accompany it. Specifically when it comes to being a woman in the sports industry, there is so much that can be said about disparities and differences that make these roles less accessible and more difficult to women. 

We asked Bailey about her experiences whether it be encountering bias or simply overcoming her own self doubts. She shared, “I feel like this is something that I am genuinely still working through and the challenges change day to day. Most of it for me is identity. Of learning my own and being post grad in such a male dominated space and working with players as a young woman. There is an expected level of professionalism and awareness you’re expected to have. I have found almost a hyper awareness of my identity and how I am portraying myself and holding myself to a high standard.”

The 2025 Cavs Playoff Campaign designs.

Over time, she has felt more accepted and at ease in the workplace and has begun to feel as though she belongs more and more. With this shift has come not only an increased sense of confidence, but also a decreased sense of self doubt. Bailey told us that throughout her time with the Cavs she has become less uptight about her role and allowed her personality to shine through not only in her work, but in her interactions with others.

She credits her growth to moving up the ladder and looking back to the role she once had, and the women who have it now. She often thinks of how hard she was on herself and knowing that she would never expect this of those who do the job today, she has a renewed sense of self and can reflect on the unfair standards she once held herself to.

Bailey also told us about the EmpowHER team member resource group within the Cavs organization that offers events, mentorships, and other resources for women within the company. “I have felt a lot of comfort and assurance through these events with this team and knowing that we have this support system of women even in times where it feels like we might be in the minority,” she said.

Beyond the current work she is doing, Bailey is also making massive strides in the world of women's sports with her contribution to the WNBA team coming to Cleveland in 2028. The team will be the first WNBA franchise to play in the state of Ohio and will play their home games at Rocket Arena. As yet another element of the Rock Entertainment Group, this organization’s art and marketing needs will also be overseen by Bailey and her team of designers. 

She went on to tell us a bit about what it was like to contribute to the bidding process and ultimately win the bid for the team. Bailey said, "It's not to be taken for granted that Cleveland was selected to get this team. And it's part of our organization and the dedication we have to our players, the city, the fan experience and all of those things. Part of the process was finding ways to communicate that dedication and that our city was the right fit. It was a long process working through that but it just feels so rewarding now. I got to play a small part and we’re going to get a team and that’s awesome.”

Outside of the Cavs, Bailey enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring the latest fashion and streetwear trends, and of course watching basketball.

Although the involvement in the process is cool in its own right, Bailey is most excited to be a fan of the team and show up to support them. She said, “I went to my first WNBA game in Vegas this summer and I had such a warm feeling the whole time. It almost reminded me of growing up going to college lacrosse camps and thinking those college players were just the coolest girls ever. So to go to a WNBA game and see female professional athletes put on a pedestal and celebrated in the way male athletes are, felt so touching.”

She went on to talk about the impact this team can have on young women as well saying, “With A’ja and her partnership with Nike, lends to so many young fans being able to rep her. You see so many young girls with their beads and braids the same way and her jersey and her shoes. It is really touching to see that level of fandom for a women’s sport and I am so excited to have that in Cleveland.”

Bailey continued to rave about the city's acceptance of the team and how interest has skyrocketed since the initial announcement. In true Cleveland fashion, our community has taken an immediate interest in our new addition and are already planning to attend and support the games though we are still years out from their introduction. Like we do with most things, our city has shown up in support and uplifted this organization despite it not even being fully established yet.

As you can easily tell from the way she talks about mentorship and seeing young women take on the roles she once held, Bailey is an advocate for the accessibility of this industry to others, especially women. Early on, her experiences as an intern taught her to find ways to be productive, even when it included tasks that weren't directly assigned to her. Getting involved with anything and everything she could led her to develop more skills she wouldn’t have had otherwise and present herself as a multifaceted addition to any team. 

“I think in any role, leaders are always looking for self starters or people who can read between the lines and do the next step or extra thing that isn’t asked of them. I think that is something that really propelled me and helped me find success early in my career,” Bailey said. Her above and beyond attitude is certainly reminiscent of Clevelanders, despite not having grown up here. She displays all of the determination and willingness to try that is so prominent in not only local sports fans, but local community members as well.

Bailey mentioned respectfulness, helpfulness, and camaraderie as other qualities that make for a great candidate in the industry. She mentions that although it can be tempting to go off on your own and try to climb the corporate ladder alone, the true success is often found in community and teamwork. She summed it up perfectly saying, “I feel like I can support people when they need it and I’m going to have support when I need it as well. The reality is, everyone is stronger when they are able to lean on each other. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and it's important to be confident and humble enough to help other people and not have any ego about it.”

Personal growth, willingness to learn and evolve, and the creation of art for the world are all things that set Bailey Mincer apart from the crowd. She shows up every day to help make a beloved organization accessible and presentable to the world on a massive scale. Her work for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group is not only viewed by millions, but embraced by all. The community and fanbase she finds herself a part of is one filled with passion and grit and Bailey is no exception to these traits. She embodies what it means to have pride in your city, team, and work and it is a true inspiration to chat with her about all that drives her to success. Bailey is creative, dedicated, thoughtful, and has a truly amazing understanding of how her role as art director plays a part in the organization and community that she has fallen in love with. It is a pleasure to have her representing the team, city, and women in sports everywhere.