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Kansas Jayhawks basketball’s Remy Martin gets use of new car in NIL partnership

Remy Martin sat behind the wheel of a 2022 Toyota Camry, white with black trim and sunroof, and admired the vehicle he’ll be driving during his “super senior” season at Kansas courtesy of a name, image likeness agreement with Crown Toyota.

“This is a dream come true, a brand new car. It’s amazing,” Martin, KU’s 6-foot, 175-pound basketball point guard from Burbank, California, said Thursday morning at a signing ceremony at Crown’s dealership in Lawrence.

“I just want to say I’m honestly super grateful for the opportunity. Being in college for the amount of time I’ve been here I never would have thought I would have seen the day I would be able to make some money off of this opportunity. To partner with Crown and Miles (Schnaer, owner) and be able to get a vehicle is unreal. For the couple of months I’ve been here,” the transfer from Arizona State added, “I feel at home. Everybody’s been welcoming. I’m ready to get this ball going,” he added of the 2021-22 season.

Martin’s NIL deal with Crown is the first announced by former KU baseball players Matt Baty and Ryan Baty, the co-owners of 6th Man Strategies. The company recently signed all 18 KU men’s basketball players to a contract that allows 6th Man Strategies to represent the Jayhawks players in NIL deals.

Martin said the opportunity to obtain NIL opportunities at a blueblood school like KU was “kind of the cherry on the top,” in the decision to transfer to the Big 12 school for one season after four years in the Pac-12.

“I was more focused on the big picture (as he worked out for NBA teams last spring while entering the transfer portal). Obviously this is a blessing, something every college athlete wants,” Martin said, “but as athletes we can’t get distracted by this in regard to the bigger picture. The real money is the NBA. That’s something that’s been a goal of mine. I never really have thought about the money, just loved the game itself. It (love of game) has always driven me to try to be the best player I can be.

“But now, I would be kind of dumb to not try to kind of capitalize on this while I’m here. But my whole goal was to make it to the NBA and still is. I’m here to try to help KU win. That’s my main goal. Everything else will take care of itself as long as we take care of what we need to take care of.”

Schnaer said he is looking forward to working with Martin, who will represent the company on social media and promote the Lawrence dealership.

“For me to do this,” Schnaer said of removing a car from the lot during a period of nationwide shortages of cars at dealerships, “is monumental. For me it has to do with the person (Martin). I respect his tenacity and his thought process as far as what he wants to do. Talking to him about his future, he has his head on his shoulders. I know Bill (Self, KU coach) wants him to run that team and win that championship.”

Of NIL, Schnaer said: “I think Bill’s comments in the news was, ‘This is the new Wild, Wild West.’ I think you’ve all heard that.”

Schnaer stated he wanted to “thank the NCAA for making a situation happen that makes the future transparent (in allowing NIL deals).”

He noted that, “if you are in business in Lawrence, Kansas and you are not involved with KU or KU athletics you are missing a great opportunity for success for yourself. We’ve done that. It doesn’t have anything to do with throwing around the money or having the money to throw around. It helps us to expose our company and expose my employees to people that are very important to Kansas athletics and the University of Kansas. We are very thankful for that relationship.”

Martin, by the way, said things have gone well the past month at practice. The Jayhawks will hold a scrimmage closed to the media and public Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then play host to Emporia State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse before opening for real against Michigan State on Nov. 9 in New York.

“We are looking good. We have all the pieces. Obviously in practice we’re going at it,” Martin said. “Coach is definitely challenging us to be our best selves including myself.

“I’ve been part of a team that looked great on paper but we never really achieved all the things we expected to. I know that we do have the pieces, which is great. When we get on that court it’s a whole different story. It’s something we have to be able to control (the game) when we get out there. Coach is putting us in the best position to be able to do that and be able to compete at a high level.”

Martin, the Big 12’s preseason player of the year, said team chemistry is good.

“We all love each other. We all want the best for each other. We all want to win,” Martin said.