One-armed high school star to play Division I college basketball, may have overall NIL value of $1.2 million

Editor's note: The headline and second paragraph have been amended to clarify that Enmanuel has an NIL value of $1.2 million. The original article stated that he had signed an NIL deal with Gatorade for $1.2 million. He has signed an agreement with Gatorade, but the value of the agreement has not been made public.

A Florida high school basketball star, who has only one arm, has just accepted two major deals.

Hansel Enmanuel, the 6'4," 175-lb. guard originally from the Dominican Republic, has not only signed up to play basketball at a Division I school, but many also say that the value of his name, image, and likeness is somewhere around $1.2 million.

Though Enmanuel is now making a name for himself in college basketball circles and with corporate sponsors, there was a time when most predicted he'd never have a future in sports. When he was just 6 years old, his left arm had to be amputated above the elbow. A cinder block wall had collapsed on him and pinned him to the ground for nearly two hours, until his father, Hansel Salvador Donato, rescued him.

Through the guidance of his father, who played professional basketball in the Dominican Republic, Enmanuel soon got back into the game he loved. He then moved to Florida in 2020 and soon became a star player at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, where he averaged a double-double.

He has now accepted an offer to play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, though the terms of the offer are not clear. Enmanuel also received offers from the University of Memphis, Tennessee State, and Bethune-Cookman.

Enmanuel's story has garnered national attention in the last couple of years. He was featured on "SportsCenter" on ESPN and even was nominated for an Espy for "Best Play" for this dunk:

He ultimately lost the award to women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe.

Enmanuel has also partnered with Gatorade, which featured him in a recent ad.

“Want doesn’t come from anywhere but within. I’ve got a drive to be great. So can you! @gatorade #gatoradepartner,” Enmanuel posted to Instagram.

Though the details of the deal are not known, On3 suggested that Gatorade selected Enmanuel in order to add more diversity to its NIL sponsorships.

Rapper J. Cole also featured Enmanuel in a recent video, tweeting out the video with the message, "The Audacity II Dreamer. I believe."

Despite the national spotlight, Enmanuel has remained grounded. He does not speak fluent English, but he gave an interview in Spanish to the Orlando Sentinel and expressed his hope that people would "not see me as a special kid who has a disability. [I wish] that they only see me as a great player who will go as far as many. That I am a good player."

“It’s not about what I want to achieve or do in life, it’s what God wants from me,” he said.

H/T: OutKick