Rajon Rondo Fears NIL Deals Are Selling Young Athletes Short

The introduction of NIL into college basketball has certainly ensured fair compensation for student athletes. However, arguments have been consistently about the  negatives being greater than the cash reward. Boston Celtics legend Rajon Rondo is latest basketball legend to share his opinion on how NIL having a net negative impact on athletes.

The same conversation surrounding NIL has been taking place since the NCAA allowed athletes to profit from themselves in 2021. Unfortunately, in recent years, the NCAA hasn’t been able to regulate NIL effectively. Consequently, players have begun to treat the transfer portal as free agency and go from school to school.

Rajon Rondo has kept a close eye on how NIL has impacted collegiate athletes across the nation and that development isn’t something that he is a fan of.

“I don’t like [NIL] for a lot of kids because it just sells them short of what the greater goal can be,” Rondo said on KG Certified. “Chasing the cheese now. It’s life-changing, but if we were broke at 18, we can be until we’re 20.”

Rajon Rondo on the negative impact NIL is having on younger athletes

Rondo: I don’t like it for a lot of kids because I think it just sells them short of what the greater goal can be. Chasing this cheese now. It’s life changing but if We was broke at 18 we can be until we’re 20.… https://t.co/vgNleSuhp1 pic.twitter.com/pSIDw23npw

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 18, 2026

In the past, part of the allure of making it to the NBA was finally achieving that generational wealth that many players worked so hard for. Nowadays, these kids earn hundreds of thousands of dollars before the end of their freshman season.

It’s worth noting that NIL doesn’t only apply to college athletes. Plenty of the biggest stars in high school basketball are signing NIL deals, which is something Rondo believes is harming their passion for the game.

“I do think the business is in front of the love. I’m seeing kids right now that’s in high school signing NIL. [These] kids are 15 years old,” Rondo said.

As great as these young players are, Rondo asserts that their lack of hunger and love for the game is apparent in the product on the floor. It can be argued that athletes who didn’t have the luxury of an abundance of wealth, such as VJ Edgecombe, make such a noticeable impact, especially with their motor.

With that being said, Rondo isn’t completely against NIL. He understands that there are undeniable benefits to it, which makes the line tricky to distinguish as currently constructed.

“You could spend the money the right way. Take care of their body. Add value around themself. It’s two-fold. I’m not against it,” Rondo added.

The NCAA definitely needs to add more restrictions to ensure NIL doesn’t jeopardize amateur sports. College sports doesn’t need to be treated the same as professional sports, which means reasonable restrictions need to be brought in on college athletes are paid and how and when they spend their money.