Michael Porter Jr. believes he would have spent more time playing college basketball if the current Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) system had been available during his NCAA career.
The NBA forward discussed the growing financial opportunities for college athletes during an appearance on the “From The Point” podcast with Trae Young and American tennis player Frances Tiafoe.
NIL agreements have allowed college basketball players to earn substantial amounts of money, with some receiving multimillion-dollar deals before entering the NBA.
Porter admitted that such financial opportunities would have influenced his decision to leave Missouri for the NBA.
“If I was getting paid millions of dollars, yeah, I would have stayed in college for sure. I would have kicked it with the fam and took my time, definitely.
“I don’t need to have $10 million in college, though, honestly. I didn’t need that. I don’t know what I would have done with millions of dollars in college. It was a blessing in disguise.”
Although Porter said he would have considered remaining in college, he also questioned how receiving millions of dollars at a young age might have affected him.
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The former Missouri standout suggested that entering professional basketball without access to major NIL earnings may have been beneficial for his career.
