Name, Image, and Likeness rights offer top basketball players significant benefits by allowing them to earn money through endorsements, sponsorships, and social media promotions while still in college. This financial support can help athletes manage expenses and support their families, especially since they don’t receive traditional salaries. While NIL rights have clear benefits, Shaquille O’Neal voiced concerns about their potential to negatively impact the game.
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Shaq initially questioned why some athletes are able to profit from NIL while others aren’t afforded the same opportunity. The Hall of Famer explained that if he had played during the NIL era and received a $5 million check for jersey sales, he wouldn’t keep the entire amount. Instead, he said he would take half and share the rest equally with his teammates.
The four-time champion strongly opposes the idea of players getting paid simply for attending school. Shaq also criticized players who accept large payouts from universities, only to enter the transfer portal at the first sign of difficulty. He believes that if college athletes are being paid, they should be held to the same standards and responsibilities as professional athletes.
“So, if I’m going to pay you now, that’s called professional sports,” the legendary center stated during his appearance on Off The Record. “Let’s get some collective bargaining involved. Let’s get some contracts involved. We gave a guy a lot of money at LSU last year. It was terrible, and he’s gone.”
Shaq isn’t completely against the idea of NIL, but he clearly believes the system needs to change before it causes irreparable damage to the college game. “We need a true definition of what NIL is,” he continued. “So if you get a great player … let him get his money for the NIL. And then I think you should not let him touch it.”
The Diesel doesn’t like to see college athletics stray so far away from their origins. For decades, athletes competed for the love of the game, a free education, and for a few, the hope of eventually turning pro. If he were a college athlete today, Shaq says he wouldn’t want to be overwhelmed with money, knowing it might diminish his drive to achieve greater goals.
“Let’s go back to the purity of college,” Shaq insisted. “College is for higher learning. Somebody asked me the other day, ‘What would you do?’ I wouldn’t take the money. Let me rephrase that. Let’s just say you gave me a million dollars. I’m gonna give my parents $700,000. I’m gonna keep $250k, but all the other money that’s coming in, I’m not gonna touch it.”
“Now all these guys are getting paid. So when you say write a check, I’m not writing a check for no bums,” Shaq said adamantly. “If it’s a guy like Marcus Ponder and I can help to get him there, I’ll write a check for him. But if you’re just a regular dude, I’m not writing no check.”
