EXCLUSIVE: Former NBA Champion, ESPN Analyst Kendrick Perkins Outlines NIL Investment Opportunities On Benzinga's 'PreMarket Prep'

Kendrick Perkins, ESPN analyst and former NBA champion, joined Benzinga's “PreMarket Prep” show this week to discuss NIL investment opportunities for college athletes. NIL, or Name Image and Likeness, is an avenue for college athletes to get paid through endorsements and brand deals while still in school.

Perkins joined Edly and its subsidiary, Nilly.us, a platform that empowers athletes and allows them to start capitalizing on their name, image and likeness faster by providing license payments without roping the athletes into unfair lending conditions. The platform gives investors an opportunity to choose their own strategy and participate in future NIL earnings.

"I would tell them (college athletes) get a head start in life," Perkins said.

"Get a peace of mind. And getting a peace of mind is getting financial security. Usually in the old school, you could trust a person's word. In today's game, you can't trust somebody's word. At the end of the day if you have a golden opportunity like NILLY, it's not your typical student loan, if you get injured you don't have to pay it back."

Related Link: Caitlin Clark Helping ESPN, Sportsbooks: How Iowa’s Success In NCAA Tournament Could Help Women’s Sports

Perkins shared insights into his own journey, which included at one point being ranked as the No. 1 high school basketball prospect ahead of a guy named LeBron James. Perkins said he knew he wanted to forgo college and head straight to the NBA by the time he was in the 10th grade as he and his family sought financial security.

But now, in part due to innovative platforms like NILLY, athletes don't have to make the hard decision between financial security and a college education; they can have both.

In fact, some of the top college athletes in the country like Iowa's Caitlin Clark and former USC standout quarterback Caleb Williams brought in millions of dollars through NIL deals. Click here to watch Perkins' full interview with Benzinga's “PreMarket Prep.“

Photo: KendrickPerkins/X Hoop/PngWing