Sports changed forever once NIL was introduced. The days of younger players grinding it out just for the love of the game are over, as now college players can earn a living thanks to NIL deals, aka Name, Image, and Likeness. One person who was unhappy with this drastic change was Shaquille O’Neal. The Diesel spoke about it on the latest edition of his podcast.
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For years, athletes in the NCAA would put their mind, body, and sometimes their careers on the line for no financial compensation. That was until 2021, when the NIL policy went into full effect and allowed players to make money off their own names. Not only that, but players have smartened up, as they know they can enter the transfer portal and get paid even bigger bucks to play for another school.
This was the topic that bothered Shaq the most. That was until his co-host, Adam Lefkoe, revealed an idea that the four-time NBA Champion once suggested about stopping these students from jumping around for the bag and not committing to a school.
“I told the people at LSU I’m not writing you guys a check if guys aren’t going to commit to us for 2-3 years,” the big man stated. The Diesel later mentioned that the transfer portal has hurt the recruitment of young high school players since college coaches are now only looking for already-established talent. “I feel sorry for them,” the NBA legend added.
Shaq and Lefkoe’s guest on the pod was famed broadcaster John Fanta. He pointed out that the transfer portal and NIL have hurt the alumni/alumna experience as much as anything else. “What happens 20 years from now, when you spend four years at four different places?” asked Fanta. “Who do you have allegiance to? That should still matter.”
This wasn’t the first time Shaquille O’Neal had issues with NIL
Shaq may seem like a legend that hates on the game, but his words say differently. The pressure or attitude he aims at the younger generation is only to help them. He showed little attitude toward ballers who no longer showed hunger because of the benefits they have gotten through NIL.
“NIL I think is definitely gonna hurt people,” Shaq said on an old episode of his pod. “For people that have nothing, when you get something, it takes the pressure off. But that something should be the final prize. The final prize should be the NBA.”
For b-ballers specifically, the NBA should be the goal. Winning a National Championship is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a reason, because eventually college ends and the pros call.
Is it good that the NCAA allows athletes to earn money? Yes, but the transfer portal does look to be slowing down the development of younger kids, and in the end, those are the ones that need to be looked after the most.
