Who is Ed O’Bannon? The Father of NIL. 🏀💰 Before NIL was a thing, Ed O’Bannon was THAT guy—a UCLA legend who dropped 30 in the natty and was the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Drafted 9th overall, he took his game global after a quick NBA stint. But Ed’s real legacy? He saw his own moves in NCAA video games and realized he wasn’t getting a dime. So he took the NCAA to court- and won. That lawsuit didn’t just change the rules; it flipped the whole system: now, college athletes can actually get paid for the product they bring to the court (or NIL 😊). Thanks to O’Bannon, EA Sports paused their NCAA games, the NCAA had to rewrite its policies, and today’s athletes get bigger scholarships, more perks, and real cash for them to play and be a part of things like these video games. So next time you see a college athlete landing a sponsorship deal, remember: Ed O’Bannon walked so today’s players could run. LEGEND. #FatherOfNIL #GameChanger #EdOBannon