Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s a detailed profile of Ed O’Bannon:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Edward Charles O’Bannon Jr.
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born August 14, 1972
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Height: 6’8″ (2.03 m)
  • Weight: 222 lbs (101 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6’9″
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Jersey Number: #31 (primarily)
  • Position: Small Forward / Power Forward
  • High School: Artesia High School (Lakewood, California)
  • College: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (1991–1995)
  • NBA Draft: Selected 9th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets
  • Teams Played For:
    • New Jersey Nets (1995–1997)
    • Dallas Mavericks (1997)
    • Played internationally in Italy, Spain, Poland, and Greece after leaving the NBA
  • Championship Rings: None in the NBA, but he won the NCAA Championship with UCLA in 1995 and was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
  • Kids: He has two children, Edward III and Jasmine.
  • Siblings: Ed has a younger brother, Charles O’Bannon, who also played in the NBA and overseas.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Ed O’Bannon’s player archetype was that of a skilled face-up power forward — a smooth, left-handed combo scorer who could operate from the mid-range, attack slower defenders, and rebound his position while bringing enough size and feel to fit into a structured frontcourt. Defensively, he projected more as a solid team defender than a pure stopper, using his 6-foot-8, 222-pound frame to battle bigger forwards, clean the glass, and hold up within schemes rather than overwhelm opponents with elite explosiveness. Offensively, his value came from polished scoring touch, high-level footwork, and the ability to stretch defenses for his era, which showed up clearly in his dominant UCLA peak when he paired interior finishing with perimeter skill and star-level production. Overall, O’Bannon’s play style was cerebral, fundamentally strong, and matchup-oriented: a talented scoring forward with real finesse, good rebounding instincts, and a versatile offensive package that was especially dangerous when he could face the basket and play with rhythm.

Sources:

Basketball-Reference — Ed O’Bannon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Sports-Reference — Ed O’Bannon Jr College Stats
UCLA Athletics — Ed O’Bannon (2005) – Hall of Fame
The Wooden Award — Ed O’Bannon
The Spokesman-Review — Knee Issue Overshadows O’Bannon’s Selection In Draft