Charles O'Bannon


Charles Edward O'Bannon Sr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins. He was a two-time first-team all-conference player in the Pac-10 and teamed with brother Ed to help the Bruins win a national championship in 1995. O'Bannon played two seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Detroit Pistons and also played overseas in Japan, Poland, and Italy.

College career

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. He was a starter in 1994–95 on the school's 1995 NCAA championship team. O'Bannon was a first team All-Pac-10 selection in 1996 and 1997, and he was also voted co-Most Valuable Player of the Bruins in both of those years. He is the younger brother of former NBA forward Ed O'Bannon, who played with him at UCLA.

Professional career

Charles O'Bannon was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the third pick in the second round of the 1997 NBA draft. He played for the Pistons for two seasons before being released. He scored his NBA career high of 14 points on April 14, 1999 against the Charlotte Hornets.
O'Bannon continued his professional basketball career by playing in various leagues outside of the United States in Italy, Poland, and Japan. He ended his career in 2013.

Coaching career

In 2018, O'Bannon was announced as head coach of the Seattle Ballers in the Junior Basketball Association. During that season, he coached Seattle to a 6–2, as well as a spot in the 2018 JBA Finals, where the team lost to the Los Angeles Ballers. After the conclusion of the league's inaugural season, O'Bannon was named an assistant coach under the JBA USA Team for their 2018 international tour.