John Amaechi

John Ekwugha Amaechi , called “ Meech ”, born the November 26th 1970 with Boston (Massachusetts) is a professional player of Basket-ball English, become commentator of matches to the the United Kingdom. He is the first basketball player having evolved/moved in NBA to reveal his Homosexualité.

Biography

Born with Boston from a father Nigerian, Amaechi grew with Stockport in England. It turns over to the the United States to play basketball in the team of the college St John' S with Toledo (Ohio). At the university level, it starts to play within the team of Vanderbilt, but is transferred to PEN State after two selections in the First TEAM Academic All-American .

Career

Pivot of 2m08 and 122kg, John Amaechi, not draft E, begins in NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995. He plays 28 matches for the Riders during the season 1995-1996, then plays three years in Europe (France: Cholet, Limoges; Italy: Kinder Bologna; Greece: Panathinaïkos; The United Kingdom: Sheffield Sharks) before signing for the Magic d' Orlando in 1999. With a solid season 1999-2000, where it cumulates the average of 10,5 points in 21,1 minutes per match, it knows notoriety by registering first points NBA of the new millenium in 2000. Amaechi then plays Utah Jazz of 2001 with 2003.

It is transferred to the Houston Rockets in the middle of its last season, in exchange of Glen Rice, but, although it is not wounded, does not take part in any of their matches.

Young pensioner, it takes again the play for the Jeux of the Commonwealth to Melbourne under the colors of the England, helping the national team to gain the bronze medal.

Its career of player having taken end, Amaechi comments on match NBA weekly diffused on the British Television channel Five.

Personal life

Apart from its activities of commentator, Amaechi is especially implied in the ABC Foundation, an association which builds centers of sport for children to the the United Kingdom. First opened with Manchester, close to its native house of Stockport.

In February 2007, it announces its Homosexualité on ESPN, as well as the publication of an autobiographical book Man in the Middle (“the Man in the medium”) published at ESPN Books, which gives an account of its experiment of professional player “in the wall cupboard”. He also showed Homophobie Jerry Sloan, his former trainer of Utah, city with strong Mormon population . Among the reactions to the coming out of Amaechi, remarks of the former basketball player Tim Hardaway, who declares “homophobe” particularly shocked.

Amaechi is the first player NBA to carry out its Coming out, and one of only among the male professional sportsmen, with the players of NFL Esera Tuaolo, Roy Simmons and Dave Kopay, the former player of NRL Ian Roberts and the old days of the Major League Baseball Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.

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