Iowa Hawkeyes center Luka Garza has been tirelessly training in the hope of hearing his name called during the NBA Draft this summer. But the reigning Naismith Player of the Year is also determined to help college athletes profit off their name, image, and likeness, and earn what's rightfully theirs.
"The biggest thing about this NIL issue is that [the NCAA] needs to figure out a way how to give these players money," Garza told the JR SportBrief show on Thursday. "And I think if you gave them the right to monetize off NIL, you're not taking any money away from the NCAA. You go to Amazon and look up my name, there are t-shirts selling with my face on it, and that money's not going to the university and it's not going to the NCAA. So, all you would be doing is giving the athletes the right to be able to make that money that people already are...
"I'm very thankful for my college experience and my ability to pursue a degree in economics. I'll be thankful for the NCAA and the opportunity to show my game on that platform that it does have. And it changed my life, for sure. But I feel like this is the direction we're going. When my first NFT (non-fungible token) sold, I had $28 in my bank account. So, whether you think that's right or not is your decision. But I feel like as an athlete, you're bringing a lot of money to the table for the university, you should be able to have a piece of that pie in a healthy way, and in a way that doesn't take away from the beauty of college sports.
"And that's why I think NIL is the perfect way to go about it, instead of giving players contracts or whatever the case may be. Allowing players to use their NIL and use their education to be able to find different ways to profit off their names, like with NFT or many different things, that is a way you can do it."
Garza, who's the only player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, 150 blocked shots, and 100 three-pointers, helped Iowa earn a No. 2 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-11 senior also averaged 24.1 points per game with 8.7 rebounds, and led the nation in total points (747), player efficiency rating (35.84), and field goals made (281).
The entire conversation between Garza and JR can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.