Ed O'Bannon
Encyclopedia
Edward Charles O'Bannon, Jr. (born August 14, 1972 in Los Angeles
, California
) is a retired American
basketball
player, who was a power forward
for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball
team on their 1995 NCAA championship team, where he was known as "Ed-O". He was selected by the New Jersey Nets
with the ninth overall pick in the 1995 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft
, but played only two seasons in the NBA before playing another eight years professionally in six different countries.
(CIF) Division II state championship. He was the most valuable player (MVP) at the Dapper Dan Classic
, a high school All-Star game
, and he was named a McDonald's High School All-American as well as honored by Basketball Times
as its national high school player of the year. He originally planned to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV), but he did not sign a letter of intent with the university at the suggestion of UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian
. However, when UNLV's men's basketball program was placed on probation due to recruiting improprieties, O'Bannon rescinded his commitment and instead attended UCLA.
Six days before the official start of practice at UCLA, O'Bannon tore his anterior cruciate ligament
as he landed awkwardly on a dunk during a pickup game with other Bruins. He was told he might not be able to walk properly again, but eighteen months later, after receiving a graft from a cadaver, he returned to playing basketball. In his first year, he came off the bench in 23 games and averaged fewer than four points while never starting. In his second season in 1993, O'Bannon was named to the first team All-Pacific-10 (Pac-10) Conference team. In his junior year, he was named the team's MVP and was again first team All-Pac-10. In his senior year, O'Bannon was the key to UCLA's 1995 NCAA Basketball Championship
, scoring 30 points and taking 17 rebounds and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
. For the season, he averaged 20.4 points (.533 field-goal percentage, .433 3-point percentage) and 8.3 rebounds, earning him the John R. Wooden Award
, USBWA College Player of the Year (now Oscar Robertson Trophy), and the CBS
/Chevrolet
Player of the Year. He was a consensus first team All-American
, Pac-10 co-Player of the Year
along with Damon Stoudamire
, first team All-Pac-10 for the third consecutive year, and UCLA's co-MVP along with Tyus Edney
.
His number 31 was retired by the Bruins on February 1, 1996, and he was inducted into UCLA Athletics Hall off Fame in 2005.
, O'Bannon hoped he would get drafted by a team in the West. Selected ninth by the New Jersey Nets
of the NBA in the first round, he signed a three-year, $3.9 million contract. However, he became homesick. In his two professional seasons, he was unable to find a place in the NBA, being too lean too play down low and not quick enough with his rebuilt knees to guard the perimeter. His knee started to break down also. He averaged 6.2 and 4.2 points per game respectively with the Nets and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks
later in his second and final NBA season, where he had even less of an impact. In September 1997 he was traded along with Derek Harper
to the Orlando Magic
and released. "It wasn't injury, it was confidence," O'Bannon said about his NBA career. "I missed shots, got pulled from games, it affected my defense, and I lost all my confidence." Former Nets teammate Armon Gilliam said, "He's a guy who didn't find his niche in the NBA. He wasn't in the right situation to grow and develop. He never got the opportunity to prove what he could do."
After his NBA career, O'Bannon played professional basketball seven years overseas in Italy
, Spain
, Greece
, Argentina
and Poland
(in Anwil Włocławek, Polonia Warszawa
and Astoria Bydgoszcz
). He also played one year for the startup American Basketball Association
(ABA) with the Los Angeles Stars
. After the NBA, he only had one-year contracts and never made more than $400,000 in a season. He decided to retire at age 32 after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. When he made his decision, he was in the process of trying out for a team in China
but realized he had no more motivation to play the game. Furthermore, the people holding the tryouts had never even heard of him.
In his professional career, O'Bannon said he "played for 12 different teams in at least six countries and for 15 different coaches."
, "People see me and remember me and I'm proud to tell them — 'No, I don't play. No, I don't coach. Yes, I sell cars.'"
O'Bannon was a volunteer coach at Green Valley High School
in Henderson, Nevada
. In 2009, citing a renewed interest in basketball due to his children, O'Bannon accepted an offer to become the head coach of the boys' basketball team at a Henderson International School in Henderson.
O'Bannon was named as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) on behalf of its Division I football and men's basketball players over the organization's use for commercial purposes of the images of its former student athletes. Specifically, the suit argued that upon graduation, a former student athlete should become entitled to financial compensation for future commercial uses of his or her image by the NCAA. In January 2011, Oscar Robertson
, considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, joined O'Bannon in the class action suit.
O'Bannon attended UNLV to continue earning his bachelor's degree
. In the summer of 2011, O'Bannon returned to UCLA to finish his degree, which he expected to complete by the end of 2011.
with his wife, Rosa, and their children—Aaron, Jazmin, and Edward III.
O'Bannon is the older brother of Charles
, former Detroit Pistons
guard (with whom he shares the same first and middle names, in reverse order), who also played college basketball with O'Bannon at UCLA.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, who was a power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
team on their 1995 NCAA championship team, where he was known as "Ed-O". He was selected by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with the ninth overall pick in the 1995 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft
1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
, but played only two seasons in the NBA before playing another eight years professionally in six different countries.
High school and college
O'Bannon averaged 24.6 points, 9.7 rebounds in his senior year at Artesia High School. He led Artesia to a 29–2 record that year, and they won the California Interscholastic FederationCalifornia Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
(CIF) Division II state championship. He was the most valuable player (MVP) at the Dapper Dan Classic
Roundball Classic
The Roundball Classic, originally known as The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic is well known in the sports world as the first national high school All Star basketball game...
, a high school All-Star game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
, and he was named a McDonald's High School All-American as well as honored by Basketball Times
Basketball Times
Basketball Times is an American basketball magazine that has been in circulation since 1978, and is published by The Hoop Group LLC. Basketball Times publishes monthly and mainly focuses on college basketball and basketball recruiting.- History :...
as its national high school player of the year. He originally planned to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
(UNLV), but he did not sign a letter of intent with the university at the suggestion of UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history...
. However, when UNLV's men's basketball program was placed on probation due to recruiting improprieties, O'Bannon rescinded his commitment and instead attended UCLA.
Six days before the official start of practice at UCLA, O'Bannon tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
as he landed awkwardly on a dunk during a pickup game with other Bruins. He was told he might not be able to walk properly again, but eighteen months later, after receiving a graft from a cadaver, he returned to playing basketball. In his first year, he came off the bench in 23 games and averaged fewer than four points while never starting. In his second season in 1993, O'Bannon was named to the first team All-Pacific-10 (Pac-10) Conference team. In his junior year, he was named the team's MVP and was again first team All-Pac-10. In his senior year, O'Bannon was the key to UCLA's 1995 NCAA Basketball Championship
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
, scoring 30 points and taking 17 rebounds and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
. For the season, he averaged 20.4 points (.533 field-goal percentage, .433 3-point percentage) and 8.3 rebounds, earning him the John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
, USBWA College Player of the Year (now Oscar Robertson Trophy), and the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Player of the Year. He was a consensus first team All-American
1995 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1995 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the...
, Pac-10 co-Player of the Year
Pac-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Pacific-12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Pacific-12 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1975–76 season. There have been two players honored multiple times: David Greenwood of UCLA and Sean Elliott of...
along with Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
, first team All-Pac-10 for the third consecutive year, and UCLA's co-MVP along with Tyus Edney
Tyus Edney
Tyus Dwayne Edney is an American professional basketball player. A point guard for UCLA from 1991–1995, Edney led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA National Championship. He also led Žalgiris Kaunas to the 1999 Euroleague title...
.
His number 31 was retired by the Bruins on February 1, 1996, and he was inducted into UCLA Athletics Hall off Fame in 2005.
Professional career
Leading up to the 1995 NBA Draft1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
, O'Bannon hoped he would get drafted by a team in the West. Selected ninth by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA in the first round, he signed a three-year, $3.9 million contract. However, he became homesick. In his two professional seasons, he was unable to find a place in the NBA, being too lean too play down low and not quick enough with his rebuilt knees to guard the perimeter. His knee started to break down also. He averaged 6.2 and 4.2 points per game respectively with the Nets and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
later in his second and final NBA season, where he had even less of an impact. In September 1997 he was traded along with Derek Harper
Derek Harper
Derek Ricardo Harper is a retired American professional basketball player from the University of Illinois, who spent 16 seasons as a point guard in the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.-College:After graduating from...
to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
and released. "It wasn't injury, it was confidence," O'Bannon said about his NBA career. "I missed shots, got pulled from games, it affected my defense, and I lost all my confidence." Former Nets teammate Armon Gilliam said, "He's a guy who didn't find his niche in the NBA. He wasn't in the right situation to grow and develop. He never got the opportunity to prove what he could do."
After his NBA career, O'Bannon played professional basketball seven years overseas in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(in Anwil Włocławek, Polonia Warszawa
Polonia Warszawa
Polonia Warsaw is a Polish sports club with football and basketball teams, founded in 1911, and is the oldest such club in Warsaw, where it is based.- History :...
and Astoria Bydgoszcz
Astoria Bydgoszcz
Astoria Bydgoszcz is a Polish basketball team, based in Bydgoszcz, playing in 2. Polish League, but in the past, play in Polish Basketball League and Korać Cup-Team history:...
). He also played one year for the startup American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association (2000–present)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...
(ABA) with the Los Angeles Stars
Los Angeles Stars (2000–2001)
-External links:...
. After the NBA, he only had one-year contracts and never made more than $400,000 in a season. He decided to retire at age 32 after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. When he made his decision, he was in the process of trying out for a team in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
but realized he had no more motivation to play the game. Furthermore, the people holding the tryouts had never even heard of him.
In his professional career, O'Bannon said he "played for 12 different teams in at least six countries and for 15 different coaches."
Post retirement
As of 2009, O'Bannon was employed as a marketing director for a Las Vegas auto dealership. Not wallowing in his past, in 2006, when he was a salesman at the dealership, O'Bannon told the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "People see me and remember me and I'm proud to tell them — 'No, I don't play. No, I don't coach. Yes, I sell cars.'"
O'Bannon was a volunteer coach at Green Valley High School
Green Valley High School
Green Valley High School is a public secondary school in Henderson, Nevada within the Clark County School District. Its mascot is the Gator and the school's colors are green, blue, and silver.-History:...
in Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
. In 2009, citing a renewed interest in basketball due to his children, O'Bannon accepted an offer to become the head coach of the boys' basketball team at a Henderson International School in Henderson.
O'Bannon was named as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) on behalf of its Division I football and men's basketball players over the organization's use for commercial purposes of the images of its former student athletes. Specifically, the suit argued that upon graduation, a former student athlete should become entitled to financial compensation for future commercial uses of his or her image by the NCAA. In January 2011, Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
, considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, joined O'Bannon in the class action suit.
O'Bannon attended UNLV to continue earning his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. In the summer of 2011, O'Bannon returned to UCLA to finish his degree, which he expected to complete by the end of 2011.
Personal
O'Bannon lives in Henderson, NevadaHenderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
with his wife, Rosa, and their children—Aaron, Jazmin, and Edward III.
O'Bannon is the older brother of Charles
Charles O'Bannon
Charles Edward O'Bannon is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins men's basketball team, where he was a star small forward/shooting guard, and a starter on the school's 1995 NCAA Championship team...
, former Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
guard (with whom he shares the same first and middle names, in reverse order), who also played college basketball with O'Bannon at UCLA.
External links
- Ed O'Bannon UCLA Statistics at Sports-Reference.com
- NBA Draft Busts #19
- Ed O'Bannon's Lost Lettermen Interviews