"College basketball isn’t what it used to be": $100m worth Damian Lillard demands NCAA to bring changes to transfer portal rules amid rise in NIL

Damian Lillard has joined the likes of Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin in criticizing the new transfer portal rules introduced by the NCAA.

The new rules relate to players transferring to multiple programs in their college career. Previously, players who moved to a third team had to sit out one year before becoming eligible. However, this requirement has not been dropped, allowing players to be instantly eligible to play for their new programs.

At a postgame press conference after Sunday's 118-93 win over the OKC Thunder, Lillard spoke about his college experience and the recent phenomenon of name, image and likeness taking over college sports.

"As far as NIL, on one hand, I’m happy that players are being compensated for what they bring to these universities because they make a lot of money off of them when you talk about the tournament and some of these big conferences," Damian Lillard said. "They’re on TV as much as we are, and people recognize their names as much as they recognize us, so you want them to be compensated for that.

"I hate to see kids … they put them on camera, and they like, this kid went to Arizona, and then he was at this school. It’s four schools in four years, and it’s like, I don’t see how that can be positive for anybody as far as the college experience. ...

"I think it takes away from the spirit of college basketball where you usually might have a few guys that’s one-and-done that go to the league, but then you’re gonna have some guys there two years, three years, four years that care about the history of the program and what the program is about."

Damian Lillard, who is worth $100 million per Celebrity Net Worth, believes that the ability of players to play for four different teams in four years denies them a chance to have an authentic college experience, as the moment they are settled in a college, they move to another one.

He thinks the NCAA needs to put some form of rule in place to stop the new eligibility rule from being exploited.

Additionally, Lillard said that the idea of a player moving to multiple programs during his career is "killing college basketball."

College basketball is historic. Many players have stayed with one program over the four years of eligibility and, in turn, become legends with one team.

However, with the ability to transfer to another team (mostly for financial reasons relating to the NIL) without any consequences, the duration a player may want to stay with a program may become less and less.

Damian Lillard during College

Before becoming an eight-time NBA All-Star, who spent 11 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and is now with the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats between 2008-2012.

During his freshman season, Damian Lillard averaged 11.5 points per game, and his performances won him the Freshman of the Year award from the Big Sky Conference. His sophomore year was more successful, averaging 19 points per game and winning the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year award.

After his four years of basketball at Weber State, one of which was marred by injury, Lillard scored 1934 points in total, which was at the time the second highest in Weber State history.

However, while the Wildcats won the Big Sky regular season with Lillard in 2009 and 2010, they never reached the NCAA Tournament with him on the roster.

It is likely that if a player was in Damian Lillard's shoes in today's college basketball landscape, the player would be highly motivated (and allowed to) transfer to another, larger program where they can reach the NCAA Tournament, thus increasing his visibility among franchises and brands that may give them an NIL deal.

But this was not the case when Lillard was playing. He stayed with Weber State and became part of the Wildcats history forever.