A big conversation that is ongoing in sports is whether college players should be paid. Back in the day, hungry athletes would give it their all in school for the hope of making it to the big leagues. But thanks to NIL, these guys are now already millionaires. So that hunger goes away, because they’re already getting paid. It’s even stopping a few of them from taking the leap.
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NBA superstar Jalen Williams addressed this issue during a recent interview on the Out The Mud podcast. Show host Tony Allen wondered what the 24-year-old defending NBA Champion thought of NIL’s grip on the NCAA, specifically in basketball. J-Dub didn’t hold back.
“I mean, it’s good,” he began. “I think the only thing with giving kids that much money is like, you kind of ruin a little bit of the college experience. Cause like looking at it for me, it was low-key fun looking back, some of my fun stuff was not having money in college. Cause that is part of the experience. Everybody is broke in college.”
He’s not wrong. I wouldn’t say that it is fun being broke, but having limited funds certainly fueled you to work harder as you aimed for your dreams. But more importantly than the finances is what Jalen said about how this could teach young ballers about never trying for the NBA.
“I just think it kind of ruins a little bit of wanting to go to the NBA. Cause it’s like, when I was there, I don’t have money and I don’t want to keep asking my parents to make ends meet to do it. So my mindset was lets get to the league,” he explained. “For them its more like, ‘Let me stay back in school and get money.’ It kind of takes a little bit of the allure of the NBA.”
However, Williams did admit that he understood why someone would choose to get paid and go to school, especially if they can extend their time in the college portal. “It’s that double-sided sword. If I know I’m gonna get more money in school I’m going back to school, and I’m going to get a free education with it.”
It really is a complicated situation. On the one hand, the NCAA makes a lot of money off the backs of these young athletes, and it’s nice that they are finally taking a piece of the pie. On the other hand, no athlete should have a desire to spend more than four years in college when the pros are right there. Winning a National Championship is great. You know what else is? Winning an NBA Finals.
“I don’t really have a firm stance on it, but I think they need to rein it in a little bit,” added J-Dub, who then explained why. “Because there’s some killers in the NBA that don’t get as much money as dudes in college who aren’t as good.”
Jalen later mentioned how if he were in college in the current landscape, he wouldn’t change a thing. He’d finish his time in school and immediately try for the NBA because that is what he always dreamed of doing.
“For me personally, even if I was in today’s landscape, I think I would have stayed at Santa Clara the three years and tried to go to the NBA. Because growing up, that’s what I wanted to do,” he admitted.
It really comes down to two things: dreams and perspective. Making money is what a lot of people desire, even athletes. They’d rather get that bag than win a title in all its glory. But most of the time, those guys don’t become champions, and when they do, it’s off the backs of guys like Jalen.
J-Dub is doing it all. He’s already got one ring at 24, and just signed a huge extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the league starting next season. Not only that, he’s a part of a franchise that could very well run it back. There’s no right answer as to what to do. But Jalen Williams is an example of why doing it the traditional way will get you everything you desire.
