Ex-NBA Star Walks in “Opposite Direction” of Nick Saban; Promotes New Venture With a Sly Dig at Fellow ESPN Colleague

College athletes benefitting from their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has been a hot topic lately. While some lean in favor of it, others have reservations about this whole system. Former Alabama football coach Nick Saman is among the critical ones. Saban has expressed his belief that unregulated NIL has the potential to create unfair competition. Meanwhile, ex-NBA star Kendrick Perkins has taken a different stand on the issue.

The 2008 NBA champion claims that his new investment platform can change the NIL payment scenario. “While Nick Saban is feeling some type of way about Student Athletes getting paid… I’m actually going in the opposite direction and that’s why I created @NILLYus Carry the hell on…” Perk posted on X. The post also included a video of Perkins briefly talking about his investment platform named NILLY.

The ex-Boston Celtics player mentions that during his time, the only way to make money from basketball was to turn pro. “That’s why I created NILLY, to give athletes opportunities that I wish I had. NILLY lets you invest in the NIL rights of student athletes,” he said in the video. The ex-NBA star further claims that, through his investment platform, athletes can get faster access to NIL earnings.

This came in response to Nick Saban’s earlier statements about some Congress members pushing for a federal law to regulate NIL earning for college athletes. Saban was recently at a roundtable hosted by Senator Ted Cruz. “The whole idea of boosters being able to contribute to collectives which really establishes a pay-for-play model, I don’t think is in the best interest of college athletics in the future, nor the participants — the student-athletes themselves,” he said.

This is where Kendrick differs from Nick Saban, with his faith in his investment platform NILLY.

More about Kendrick Perkins’ investment platform

Perkins entered the world of finance with his involvement in an investment platform called NILLY. He co-founded the platform with the financial technology company, Edly. NILLY was launched in February 2024.

This came after the NCAA lifted its ban on athletes profiting from their NIL in July 2021. The lifting of the ban allowed college athletes to earn money through endorsements, sponsorships, social media deals, and other ventures.

Read More: Nick Saban Unmasks The Biggest Issue of NIL as a Concept, Days After Claiming It “Had Nothing to Do” With His Retirement

Kendrick Perkins’ investment platform capitalizes on the evolving landscape of NIL rights in college athletics. The ex-NBA icon seeks to bridge the gap between investors and this emerging opportunity through NILLY. It is said that the platform operates under a novel investment strategy, where investors can choose to support pools of student-athletes or even specific athletic programs.

Read More: Wrapping Up 2023 – Top 5 NIL Deals for NCAA Athletes