Indiana Hoosiers junior guard Anthony Leal has not made all that much of an impact on the court this season, but he used his NIL money to make a real impact in his sister’s life this holiday season.
In a video shared by Leal’s mother on Twitter, his sister opened a letter on Sunday detailing that the Hoosiers player was paying off her student loans for Christmas.
Top 5, parenting moment. Merry Christmas.🎄✨🎁 pic.twitter.com/IgzlZYu8bO
— btown@l3alfam (@btownl3alfam1) December 25, 2022
“Hey sis, I wanted to let you know how much I look up to you and admire who you are. Your soul is beautiful and you are the best role model ever. There is no doubt that I have made it to where I am today because of you. Someone like you deserves no burdens or restrictions in life. And I feel like the best way to help you with that is by paying off your student loan debt,” Lauren Leal read while tearing up.
Anthony Leal also took to social media to respond to this video to dispel the notion that NIL money for athletes is a bad thing as many perceive it to be.
“Some folks have negative opinions about NIL. But without it, things like this wouldn’t be possible…” he wrote on Twitter.
Some folks have negative opinions about NIL. But without it, things like this wouldn’t be possible…😊 https://t.co/fPxYGxzWoz
— Anthony Leal (@anthonyl3al) December 25, 2022
This is certainly a prime example of why it is a great thing that these athletes are being paid for the extensive time spent playing their sport.
Despite playing a limited role at Indiana this season, the money that he has received has allowed him to give back to his family in a great way and change his sister’s life.
