Ed OBannon wisely focuses as much on shattering the myth of the student athlete as on the legal aspects of his groundbreaking lawsuit. He exposes the many ways that college players are exploited financially and deprived of both their civil rights and a meaningful educationwhile the NCAA, college athletic departments, coaches and athletic directors, apparel companies, videogame producers and sports agents rake in millions of dollars from those athletes images and unpaid labor. Despite the resistance of those entrenched interests, OBannon has set in motion changes that are inevitable, and everyone involved will benefit. His twelve ideas for fixing college sports should be required reading for everyone in the business of sports. Oscar Robertson, National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Century, longest-serving President of the National Basketball Players Association, and leader of the anti-trust class-action suit resulting in the Oscar Robertson Rule that gained free agency for NBA players and ultimately all professional athletes
Ed OBannon is a trailblazer in the debate over the fair treatment of college athletes in the multi-billion dollar industry of NCAA sports. Eds new book Court Justice is an amazing inside view of an All-Americans battle against the NCAA cartel. It is a fascinating read. No matter what side of the fence you find yourself on, Eds book will stress test your position in a riveting fashion. Jay Bilas, ESPN
Ed OBannon has cracked the lineup of principled athletes who have fought for players rights. That battle began long ago by immortals like Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell, and they stand with OBannon today. Giving college athletes a fair stake in the NCAAs profit machine should matter to everyone, and Court Justice lucidly explains the stakes, the parameters of the battle, and what reforms are needed today. Jack McCallum, New York Times best-selling author of Dream Team and most recently Golden Days: Wests Lakers, Stephs Warriors, and the California Dreamers Who Reinvented Basketball
Ed OBannon is that rarest of athletes, a true game-changer. He set college sports on a path toward modernization, motivated by the desire to make it better for all. This is what can happen when the gentlest of souls meets the opportunity to make history, and doesnt flinch. Tom Farrey, executive director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Progam, and author of Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children
The movement of so called student-athletes to reclaim their personhood in the face of a system rife with exploitation cannot be understood without reading Court Justice. Ed OBannon is a hero. He spoke truth to powera truth that now like a subterranean fire, cannot be stomped out. Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, and author of Jim Brown: Last Man Standing
