When Geno Auriemma mentioned Michael Jordan to talk about NIL for college basketball in conversation with Diana Taurasi

In a May 2020 Instagram Live conversation with her former player Diana Taurasi, UConn coach Geno Auriemma used NBA legend Michael Jordan as an analogy to discuss potential challenges with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation.

In the video uploaded on YouTube, the Hall of Fame coach asked Taurasi how she would have felt if, as a college player, she had been earning a significant amount of money through endorsements and sponsorships, while her teammates did not.

"It would be almost like the pros where if Michael Jordan was doing 10 commercials when he was with the Bulls and nobody else was doing any," Auriemma said (Timestamp: 37:34).

"Do you feel like, because college kids aren't mature enough yet, would there be some resentment there among the players?"

Taurasi had a great response to coach Geno Auriemma's thoughtful question:

"Oh, it’s like real life. Certain people who do the most, you know, they get the most. That’s right, the American dream," Diana said.

"When we went to college, I just watched that game. They had that camera on me for two hours straight. Did Barbara [Turner] care? Did Ann [Strother] care? They might have, but they never said anything ... I mean, they can get it anyway. Obviously not money-wise, but they get the attention, the interviews."

NIL deals were introduced a little over a year after this conversation and it has led to significant changes in the college sports landscape. While Taurasi did not get the opportunity to profit off her name, image and likeness during her college years, today's student-athletes have been able to capitalize on the policy.

Geno Auriemma once compared Diana Taurasi to Michael Jordan

Geno Auriemma knows Diana Taurasi since she was in high school, as he recruited her to UConn and coached her to three national championships.

The two have developed a close bond over the years, as Auriemma has never been shy about heaping praise on Taurasi. He once went as far as comparing her to the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan:

"The most obvious similarities are their commitment and their drive to win," Auriemma said (via Sports Illustrated). "That every single thing they have to win. And it doesn't matter whether it's a shooting drill, ... it doesn't matter what it is, I have to beat you and I have to prove that I'm better than you are. And that carried over onto the court."

Despite all the years that have passed since Taurasi's playing days at UConn, Geno Auriemma still speaks glowingly about her impact on the game.