Charles Barkley shared perhaps the least surprising statement of all time about NIL on Wednesday: it's been happening long before 2021, when it was officially instituted. Chuck took it a step further, though.
Barkley revealed that he's been partaking in it. Sir Charles was responding to those who say he doesn't care about his alma mater because he doesn't donate NIL to buy players for Hugh Freeze or Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers.
“I’ve given more money to Auburn, legal or illegal, than any athlete in the history of the school. And the notion that I’m going to come up with a couple million dollars every year so that we can be good at basketball and football — that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Barkley said Wednesday on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on WJOX-FM from the Regions Pro-Am in Birmingham, per CBS Sports’ Mike Rodak.
“One thing I’m pretty sure of, Black and broke don’t work, in any municipality in the world. I’ve been rich for a long time. I plan to stay that way. But the notion that I’m going to give Auburn millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports, that’s just not going to happen. I’m really proud of what I’ve given Auburn and I’m going to continue to give them money, but I’m not going to give them millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports. That’s just stupid. People will be talking about me behind my back. ‘How did that guy go broke? How did he lose all that money?’ Because y’all wanted to be good at sports, fool!”
Credit Barkley for being honest about his intentions.
Auburn probably isn't thrilled that he's saying these things, but that's neither here nor there. Assuming these comments don't prompt an investigation.
Good thing the FBI Director, Dan Bongino, is a noted Auburn fan. Just kidding.