Even before the Los Angeles Lakers take the court today, a cause championed by LeBron James and several others scored a major win. The NCAA announced that it has started a process to allow student-athletes to profit from their name and likeness.
This follows the passing of the California Fair Pay to Play Act signed by governor Gavin Newsom on HBO/UNINTERRUPTED’s “The Shop,” which allowed student-athletes in California to earn money for before reaching the professional ranks. According to the announcement from the NCAA, the organization acknowledged that it must “embrace change.”
LeBron James celebrated the move by the NCAA on Tuesday afternoon.
Additionally, fighting the legislation would be more costly for the NCAA than it would have been to accept what appears to be the future of collegiate athletics. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports the NCAA is aiming to have new rules in place no later than 2021.
Obviously, this is a big win for LeBron James and his associates, who have championed the cause of paving a way for student-athletes to make a living while still in college. Part of it is related to LeBron’s experience of seeing his high school profit from his name and likeness. Now, it appears his son, Bronny James, could be in a position to profit without forfeiting his amateur status or ability to play college basketball.
The concern James has shown has gone beyond the stars though. “Student Athlete,” the HBO documentary executive produced by James, shows the ways NCAA rules can unfairly hurt the rank-and-file student-athlete.
