A Younger O’Bannon Plays in a New College Sports Landscape

SAN DIEGO — Dalen Terry, a beginning guard for the College of Arizona’s top-seeded staff within the N.C.A.A. males’s basketball event, informed reporters this week that it was “a dream come true” to see his title on the again of jerseys being offered within the campus bookstore.

“I’ve been fascinated about this ever since I used to be youthful,” he mentioned. “Simply having anyone else put on my jersey.”

What Terry didn’t notice then concerning the licensing agreements that grew to become allowable forward of this basketball season was that one in every of his opponents on Sunday night time, Chuck O’Bannon Jr. of Texas Christian College, is the nephew of Ed O’Bannon, whose antitrust lawsuit in opposition to the N.C.A.A. was central to the winding street towards extra rights and alternatives for school athletes to make cash from their fame.

It was solely final summer time that the N.C.A.A., pressured by a handful of statehouses, relented on its longstanding insurance policies that saved gamers from incomes cash from endorsements and different offers.

And though the difficulty has develop into entrance and central for a lot of school athletes, Chuck O’Bannon Jr. mentioned in an interview that a lot of his opponents didn’t find out about his household’s ties to its historical past.

“Truthfully, I don’t even assume a lot of my teammates know,” mentioned O’Bannon, 23. “And in the event that they do, they simply discovered.”

Ed O’Bannon starred alongside Chuck’s father, Charles, on U.C.L.A.’s championship basketball staff in 1995, successful nationwide participant of the 12 months honors whereas anchoring the Bruins’ final title run. Ed O’Bannon’s lawsuit, first filed in 2009, challenged the utilization of his likeness for a school basketball online game and different moneymaking ventures for school sports activities that generated gross sales nicely past his time within the sport.

As Ed O’Bannon grew to become a strong image for athletes looking for to vary the dynamics of school sports activities, the trade itself ballooned right into a billion-dollar behemoth, thanks partly to televisions rights offers for males’s basketball and soccer that elevated revenues for college athletic departments.

For the youthful O’Bannons, the lawsuit grew to become essential household curriculum.

“Once I was younger, he defined it to me, that if anyone is making an attempt to make use of your picture to make cash, it is best to receives a commission off of that,” O’Bannon Jr. mentioned of his uncle. “He informed me how they did it with him however he didn’t make any cash.”

Charles mentioned that early on within the authorized struggle, he and Ed spoke concerning the doable impact it may need on Chuck, particularly as he labored towards changing into a school athlete.

“It damage Ed when he was making an attempt to get into the teaching recreation. It made it a bit tough for some coaches to place him on their employees,” mentioned Charles, 47, who spent two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Ed O’Bannon additionally performed two seasons within the N.B.A., with the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks.

“He didn’t thoughts taking one for the staff, however we didn’t assume it might occur this quickly and that his nephew would be capable of revenue off of it,” Charles added in an interview.

Ed O’Bannon, 49, mentioned in an interview that he believed his authorized struggle affected the prospects for his nephew in addition to his daughter, Jazmin, now 25, and his son, Edward III, now 23.

“When all three have been arising by means of the ranks at the highschool degree, that was the meat and potatoes of my lawsuit,” mentioned Ed, whose daughter performed basketball on the College of Nevada-Las Vegas and whose son is pitching at a small school in Texas. “I believe they suffered the results of the lawsuit, particularly my children. They weren’t recruited as a lot. And it was onerous for them to take care of. I truthfully don’t know the way Junior handled it. However I do know I gave my children particular orders to remain away and never touch upon social media. Keep away. Do your factor. That is my struggle.”

Nonetheless, Ed believes his kids have moved on and that “it’s over, so far as I’m involved, my portion of the struggle.” He’s additionally glad that his nephew is flourishing in school basketball.

“They’re dwelling their lives to the fullest. And me as a dad and uncle, I couldn’t be extra proud,” Ed mentioned.

Chuck O’Bannon Jr. has performed in 32 video games for the Horned Frogs this 12 months and leads the staff with 41 3-pointers. Rising up and listening to tales about U.C.L.A. basketball and watching movies of Bruins video games along with his father stoked his ardour. Dwelling in Japan from the ages of two to 14 whereas his father performed professionally there furthered his training.

“It helped me be extra numerous with all the pieces that I did,” mentioned O’Bannon, who performed three seasons on the College of Southern California earlier than transferring to T.C.U.

The O’Bannon household has at all times moved to the beat of a bouncing basketball. They as soon as targeted on Ed, Charles and U.C.L.A., and now the gyms and generations have modified whereas the enjoyment of the sport has not.

“It’s been a blast to observe him play, and never solely within the event, however all through the season,” mentioned Ed O’Bannon, who now works as a juvenile probation officer for Clark County, Nevada. “To look at him develop and actually discover himself as a basketball participant. And discover that confidence that everyone knows he has deep inside.”

Mentioned Charles: “Speaking with my mother and father about how proud they have been watching me and Ed undergo our U.C.L.A. run, I’m getting those self same emotions and goose bumps on this facet of it. A proud mother or father. Watching Chuck do his factor and interacting with the opposite mother and father, there’s nothing higher than that.”

When T.C.U. defeated Seton Corridor on Thursday night time, it was the varsity’s first N.C.A.A. event win since 1987. And it has been clear all through the primary weekend of the bonanza often known as March Insanity {that a} new period has taken form in school sports activities from the times when Chuck’s father and uncle soared for U.C.L.A.

Arizona’s Terry, upon studying about Ed O’Bannon throughout an interview, smiled and exclaimed, “Effectively, thanks, Uncle Ed.”