If you didn’t think NIL deals were polarizing, look at two NBA legends who were once game-changing college stars. Charles Barkley and Dwyane Wade were in completely different generations, but had similar financial struggles in their pre-NBA careers. Both emerged as the stars of struggling college teams – Barkley led Auburn to its first NCAA tournament appearance, and Marquette was in need of a revival till Wade entered the scene. Then after coming close to NCAA titles, Chuck was in the draft class with Michael Jordan and Wade with LeBron. The NCAA scene is a lot different now with the emergence of NILs. And these two former college standouts have very differing opinions on it.

The Chicago Sky co-owner, Dwyane Wade was on Unapolegtically Reese this week, hosted by one of the top NIL stars in women’s basketball, Angel Reese. Sky’s rookie star asked him if NIL existed when he was in college, would he jump at the chance. Dwyane Wade unequivocally said, “I probably would have stayed in college another year at least like if I was getting paid NIL.”

Wade attended Marquette from 2001–2003 and led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four before heading to the 2003 draft. He was a new dad at the time to his eldest son, Zaire. So he admits the monetary incentive of NILs would have pushed him to take another shot at the NCAA Tournament and complete his degree. But a then 22-year-old Wade chose to go to the NBA so he could provide for his young family.

In contrast, Charles Barkley has upped his campaign against NILs. While hosting his annual golf fundraiser for Auburn’s basketball program, Chuck slammed the NCAA for creating a NIL bidding war, “When they were suspending guys for getting peanut butter instead of butter on their bagels and suspending guys for more getting than one pair of shoes and suspending guys for selling their bowl jerseys. They’re just idiots. They’re the reason we’re in this situation right now.”

Note, even Reese’s ‘Unc’ Shaquille O’Neal is anti-NILs and produced a documentary, Money Game, that presented the dark side of this new trend. Chuck called it an “unsustainable” model. Along with raising money for the basketball program, he made significant donations to Auburn’s NIL collective to support the women’s team.

Barkley wouldn’t take the deal himself while Wade is open to it. It is, however, interesting that two athletes with similar backgrounds differ on it. Especially since Chuck admitted to taking a money-making opportunity.

Charles Barkley wants to change the system

Sir Charles is opposed to the system of NIL but he’s always advocated for college athletes getting a share of the money they make the NCAA in TV deals. He is also aware that, outside NIL, college athletes are treated unfairly.

During his Tigers era, making money off your sport was against rules. But Barkley went around it. When he was bringing a turnaround to Auburn’s athletic program, he accepted money from agents secretly to stay in college.

“I think the most I took was like $20,000. I’m not talking about a million dollars. It made me stay in school another year. $20,000, that’s not a lot of money, but I was able to do some stuff for my mother and grandmother, and I had some spending money. OK, I’m cool. I don’t have to go into the real world or the NBA after one college season,” Chuck said in 2022, advocating to legalize the same.

Wade makes a similar case to Chuck. “As a man who had a kid and a wife, to be able to finish college, maybe even get my degree, but then go off to the NBA, that’s kind of how I would have played it,” he told Reese.