Iowa Hawkeyes’ Luka Garza Fetches Over $40K in Auction For His NFT Card

The Iowa Hawkeyes fell below expectations this season. But star Luka Garza did his best and swept the National Player of the Year awards. He broke multiple records and entered history books for his on-court performances. And now he is making history once again, this time off the court.

Earlier this week, Garza became the first college athlete to sell his own NFT card. It stands for non-fungible token, which is a cryptocurrency asset. It holds value because it is unique and there are no two of the same such cards.

The auction recently ended, and his card sold for a whopping $41,141. The card looks similar to other trading cards, but it has four different images of the Hawkeyes star on the card and it also has his signature on the card.

Not only did the auction winner get the card, but he also gets to spend time with Garza. Along with a game of H.O.R.S.E., the lucky fan also gets to watch a movie with Garza, followed by dinner with him. And if that wasn’t enough, they also win an autographed pair of shoes, a meditation session with him, and a lifetime VIP pass to any future basketball camps he hosts.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Luka Garza explains why and how he came up with the idea

After the launch, Garza revealed what drove him towards releasing this card. “I’m an economics major, and I’ve been following the tech world closely,” Garza said. “Blockchain technology is something that really interests me. I thought it was a really cool and unique opportunity to be able to start pushing my branding.”

But this wasn’t something he just came up with. He chose to wait until the NCAA tournament was over to release it. “This had been in my head for a while,” he said. “My dad had been thinking the same thing. We were able to talk about it, thought it was a good idea, and felt the timing was fitting. I didn’t want to take away from anything in the NCAA Tournament.”

Garza also revealed that he won’t be keeping all the money earned from the auction. He said that he is passionate about the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and a portion of the proceeds will go there.

He is all set to enter the NBA Draft now, and although he might fall to the second round, he is going to be a promising addition to any team.

ALSO READ – Five of the Best Moments From Luka Garza’s Final Season With the Iowa Hawkeyes