University of Houston senior forward Ramon Walker Jr. is taking a different approach with his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal—invest in real estate.
Walker hopes his next stage will involve influencing the development of his beloved city and childhood neighborhood.
“My dad always told me, he says, when you have money, you have to let your money make you more money,” Walker told PaperCity. “Just my dad being a mentor to me on that side of things has really helped me. The NIL landscape is crazy now. It’s a huge influx of money. So I’m just trying to do the right things with it.
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“To set myself up for later in life, that’s something I’ve been concentrating on.”
The senior’s announcement follows a recent discussion where NBA legend Paul Pierce urged younger NBA players to be more financially smart. Pierce shared his own experience, noting that being overly wasteful initially cost him his first million dollars, highlighting the importance of being money savvy.
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Walker is already taking the first steps toward becoming a developer while still playing. “I don’t wear jewelry,” he explained, emphasizing his non-materialistic approach. “And my car is a 2015. I’m good on that.”
Instead of basketball, Walker seeks real estate investment advice from Houston assistant coach Kellen Sampson, an unusual conversation for a college player and coach in 2025.
“I’ve been talking to Coach Kellen on all of it,” Walker tells PaperCity. “He’s referred me to a lot of people that are helping me get started with that. I’ve really been getting into commercial (real estate) because I just feel like there’s a lot of revenue that comes with that. Since COVID happened, people are used to working from home.
“Now people want to get back into office spaces and get back into the daily vibes of going to work. I feel like that’s an area that’s really going to be booming. So that’s something I’ve been really looking at. It’s a great city for it.”
According to coach Sampson, a major benefit of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is that it allows players to genuinely explore interests, hobbies, and opportunities outside of their identity as basketball players. He noted that several athletes have discovered areas they want to pursue, such as various investment options or distinct career paths.
“This is the first real estate. And I know this as much as that kid has worn this uniform with the pride and honor of a true Houstonian, I know the city of Houston is going to do right by Ramon here in his next chapter.”
Walker aims to make a positive impact on his community, with real estate being one avenue for this. Another potential path is coaching.
“Coaching is definitely something I could get into,” Walker commented. “All the coaches have been telling me I’m going to be a really good coach, especially with our team camps and kids camps.”
“It’s just, I love basketball and I feel like I’ll be around basketball for a long time.”
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The 6-foot-5 forward is currently making the most of his fifth-year medical hardship waiver season for the Cougars.
He made this decision despite opportunities to transfer to smaller conference programs that offered him a more significant role. For Walker, the choice to remain in Houston with a coaching staff and teammates he considers “family” was an easy one, requiring no real deliberation.
Walker Jr. has amassed several partnerships, as reported by AfroTech. His Instagram lists collaborations with Star Pizza, Daspit Law Firm, Gallery Furniture, The Players Trunk, and BB’s Tex-Orleans.
Additionally, he is partnered with Actively Black, a Black-owned apparel brand established in 2020 by Lanny Smith.
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