Bruce Pearl shares heart-warming story on positive impact of NIL in college basketball

Much has been made of the many NIL deals in football but the ramifications of name, image and likeness reform in college basketball are just beginning to be felt. NIL in college basketball could have a major impact, though.

Just ask Auburn coach Bruce Pearl.

“I’m going to tell you a great story, true story,” Pearl said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “I get a text from K.D. (Johnson), and you all know me and K.D. have got this very special relationship. He’s my maniac, not anybody else’s. He texts me and he tells me how much the relationship matters to him and how much he appreciates the fact that I’ve always had his back and that I let him be him and he’s got my back. It was wonderful.”

OK, so that doesn’t necessarily speak directly to NIL.

But Pearl continued the story, quickly pivoting toward the punch line as he met with reporters.

“I immediately, after getting that text message, call my son and said: What has he done, and what haven’t you told me he has done?” Pearl said. “He’s like, Dad, I don’t think he does — I don’t think he’s done anything wrong.

“It was then that I realized that he got his first NIL check.”

NIL in college basketball a game-changer for some

Johnson is a junior for the Tigers, who enter the 2022-23 season ranked at No. 15 in the country. He’s a star.

He averaged 13.5 points two years ago. He wasn’t quite as productive last year as his game total more than doubled, averaging 12.3 points per game, while also chipping in 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 assists per contest.

Make no mistake, though, he’s a huge factor for Pearl’s Tigers and has reached some NIL deals reflecting his stature now.

“Probably the biggest check he’s ever gotten in his life,” Pearl said. “I don’t know. I actually did wind up asking him what was that all about, and he said that was it. So now what he was able to do for himself and his family was significant.”

Is the NIL space perfect right now? Probably not.

Without more clear rules and regulations, or at least standardized practices across state lines and between different conferences, there’s likely to be some considerable turmoil in the near-term.

Pearl, though, is a fan of it generally.

“I know we got problems with the consistency and things like that,” he said. “Stories like that that are true stories are why I think NIL is a good thing. We’ve just got to figure out how to manage it. It’s new, so we’re all trying to get a hold of it.”