It's been a long time since everyone involved with the National Basketball Association has been so opinionated about something personal, something less trivial than a composite basketball. It's been since, well, since Magic Johnson's announcement that he was HIV positive, probably.
Rumors have now been confirmed about a report of a former NBA player outing himself as gay this week, and that player is none other than the legendary John Amaechi. I use the term "legendary" in a sarcastic tone, but I mean no slight against John.
Amaechi is making his announcement this week, which just so happens to coincide with the release of his book Man In the Middle. I personally won't read the book any time soon, but I assure you that it is due to having an already extensive reading list, and not in any way due to a lack of interest in reading the book. Sure, you might say Amaechi is doing the safe thing, capitalizing upon the opportunity of the book release to get a rather large announcement off his chest. I personally think he's making the smart move - because really, if he didn't publicly make the announcement, wouldn't that make the book a little awkward?
There is a lot of sentiment out there, in all directions and of all varieties. Common fan sentiment appears to be, "Wow, a career backup center turns out to be gay. how riveting." Fair enough, most folks probably aren't that interested in someone who isn't a big name unless he does something drastic for attention (and thank you for that, Latrell, Dennis, and Carmelo).
The player sentiment is most interesting though. Surely the story is ramped up a bit, since Amaechi's book is being published by ESPN Books, and we all know ESPN loves to promote the hell out of themselves. That being said, the responses that they have gotten have been nothing if not interesting.
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Article comments
1 - Twisted Humor
Did you know that he was born in Britain?
So maybe he’s not really gay. Maybe everyone just assumed that because he’s a huge basketball player that enjoys to stick his pinky in the air while sipping tea with crumpets.
Okay, fine. He's gay. So what?!
I don't think it's fair that homosexual players are only allowed in the WNBA.
We can only hope that more players are brave enough to come out.
2 - geeves
we can hope all we want. athletes are "too macho" to admit to such things, and there isnt an NBA player out there (except maybe Shawn Kemp) comfortable enough with his sexuality to be OK playing a physical game with an openly gay man. Such is life.
3 - RJ Elliott
It's completely understandable that Amaechi waited until his career was over before coming out. Few things would distract a team and cause more problems in the locker room than a professional basketball player (or football player, or hockey player, or baseball player, or...) publicly admitting to being a homosexual in mid-season. If he had done that, and if he was released by his team in the wake of the media circus, the lawsuits would have flown. Amaechi did the honorable thing here. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
4 - RJ Elliott
Now, how about that Tim Hardaway? LOL...
5 - geeves
i hope for the day when an athlete can come out without fearing any "repercussions" from other players. For the last time, it isn't contagious. It isn't like you NBA players don't spend half the game patting each other on the ass, anyways, who would know the difference?