BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University basketball player Anthony Leal is using the recently allowed name, image and likeness deals (NIL) to pay off his older sister’s student loan debt as a Christmas gift.
Leal shared the video Sunday afternoon with the caption, “Some folks have negative opinions about NIL. But without it, things like this wouldn’t be possible…”
In the video, Leal gives his sister a card for Christmas that reads, in part, “You radiate kindness and bring happiness to so many people, especially me … There is no doubt that I have made it to where I am today because of you.”
She continues reading the card, which says, “Someone like you deserves no burdens or restrictions in life, and I feel like the best way to help you with that is by …” as she pauses in shock and said she doesn’t know the total of her student debt.
After thanking and giving Leal a hug, his sister said the shorts she got him aren’t quite an equal gift, to which Leal responded, “doesn’t matter.”
As of Monday morning, the video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.
Through Dec. 26, Leal has played four games in the 2022-23 season for a total of 12 minutes.
As a freshman, Leal played in 20 games, averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. As a redshirt-freshman the next season, Leal played 17 games and averaged 1.9 points.
Leal, who was named Indiana’s 2020 Mr. Basketball, averaged 18.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Bloomington South High School, according to IU.