In 2013, Jason Collins publicly came out as gay and became the first active NBA player to come out, which shocked the sports world and American society. However, it was the first openly gay NBA player, John Amaechi, who helped Jason Collins and gave him courage.
Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has been experiencing constant conflicts between religion and state power. The Igbo people in the north have been jointly oppressed by other ethnic groups. Under the long-term uneven distribution of resources and racial persecution, In 1967, the civil war finally broke out. John's father, Jon Amaechi, an Igbo living in the United States, was recruited and returned to Nigeria with his wife Wendy, an Englishman, to join the war. However, the war always went against the Igbo people. In 1970, the civil war At the end, the Igbo people were defeated and liquidated. About two million people in the country died in this war. In this atmosphere, John Amaechi was born into the world.
After the war, Jon Amaechi was devastated and even ignored his wife's serious illness. Finally, John's mother brought him and his two sisters back to the UK and lived in Stockport, a city in the Manchester region. The misfortune of childhood gave John Amaechi an introverted personality. He liked to stay at home and read books, and was not particularly fond of sports. During this period, John Amaechi discovered that he was gay.
At the age of 17, John Amaechi's height reached 6 feet 10 inches. One day, he met a scout while walking on the road. He asked John Amaechi if he was interested in playing basketball. In this way, John Amaechi, who had never picked up a basketball, started to play basketball. His remarkable basketball journey.
18-year-old John Amaechi went to high school in the United States and received formal training. Because of his outstanding figure and concentration in training, his performance in college also improved significantly. In his final year, he had a nearly double-digit score of 16 points and 9.9 rebounds. Although in 1995, He was undrafted in the draft, but was invited to the training camp by the Cavaliers, and finally won the starting list of the season. Because the original starting center Michael Cage was injured, he became the first starting center in the NBA to be undrafted.
John Amaechi played 28 games in his rookie season. After the season, he did not get a contract extension or other contracts, so he moved to Europe and performed well. In 1999, John Amaechi returned to the NBA and signed a four-year, 10 million contract with the Magic. In 2003, he had a career-best performance of 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds, and was nominated for the Best Sixth Man. In 2003, 32-year-old John Amaechi announced his retirement and ended his professional basketball career.
Except for bravery I have no choice
In 2007, John Amaechi came out publicly:
"For the rights of other gay players, I have no choice but to be brave."
After retiring, John Amaechi became a psychiatrist and helped many gay players overcome the pain and difficulties they encountered in their careers. However, he also found that many players were under great psychological pressure and lacked catharsis, partly due to It's because no one is speaking out for them, no one can make them agree.
Martina Navrátilová, a well-known female tennis player who is also gay, believes that John Amaechi’s public coming out has indirectly saved many people’s lives:
"John Amaechi's public coming out has made many children no longer feel alone. We know that gay people are not alone, but children don't know it, so we set an example and let them know that there are many people like us in the world. Therefore, John Amaechi This action will prevent many children from feeling pain and struggle as they grow up."
Not coming out is to protect yourself
During his basketball career, due to the homophobic social climate at the time and his status as an NBA player, John Amaechi never publicly said that he was gay. He even rarely mentioned it in private with his best teammates and friends. Although his teammates We all know vaguely, because John Amaechi never joins the discussion of women, but everyone does not discuss this matter much.
The situation for gay men in professional teams is even more difficult than for gay men in general, because they know there will be little support for coming out publicly:
"The attitude of not just teammates, but coaches and management is even more frightening, with open displays of ill will and whispers."
John Amaechi often encountered discriminatory remarks against homosexuals when he was a player. For example, a teammate once said, "Homosexuals deserve to be discriminated against. Who calls them gays?" "Homosexuals are evil." Most of the time, John Amaechi will stand up and correct his teammates, but in a professional team, a player's right to speak is affected by the team's status and performance. Therefore, when the Magic have a good season, John Amaechi can speak loudly, but in the Jazz When I was in the team, I didn’t have much say in the position:
"When I encounter homophobic or discriminatory comments, I sometimes choose to remain silent. I worked hard for a long time to play in the NBA. I hope to enjoy this time and focus on the court. On the one hand, I also protect myself, so I I didn’t choose to come out publicly as a player.”
In addition, professional players do not want their sexual orientation to be the focus of the court. Many players have almost blurred the focus of being athletes after publicly coming out as gay, such as the first openly gay NBA active player, Jason Collins and others The gay players in professional leagues are the best example. John Amaechi also believes that if you come out as a player, you will not only face the problem of losing focus, but you will also be under pressure to speak out for your gays at all times. Therefore, he believes that many active players will It's normal for gay players to keep a low profile.
There is still positive energy
When he was with the Jazz, Andrei Kirilenko, the young forward and rising star in the team at the time, wanted John Amaechi to attend his party and told him:
"You are free to bring your partner to participate. As long as this person has special meaning to you, I welcome him regardless of his gender."
This made John Amaechi feel very warm and comforted. In his autobiography, he also believed that AK47 was his best teammate and best friend in the Jazz.
Grant Hill, John Amaechi’s teammate on the Magic, didn’t know John Amaechi was gay when he was a player, but he was very happy for John Amaechi’s brave move:
"John's bravery will make gay players feel comforted and confident, and will also give them the courage to accept themselves."
And when Tim Hardaway made homophobic remarks:
"I don't want gays on my team, and I don't want gays in the lounge or on the court. I don't think it's abnormal behavior."
The league immediately banned Tim Hardaway from attending the 2007 Stars, and then-president David Stern also believed that the NBA could accept players of any sexual orientation.
Shaquille O'Neal also said in an interview at the time:
"If John Amaechi or anyone gay were on my team, I would protect them. I think gays are just like normal people, and I want them to be happy."
After coming out publicly, John Amaechi said that he underestimated the United States. He originally expected that coming out publicly would arouse hatred from many people, and even receive many crazy messages or letters, but on the contrary, 95%’s letters were all encouragement and encouragement. .
John Amaechi also said in a speech called "Is Pro Sports Changing?" that changes take time to deduce:
"As a player, once your experience, skills and physical fitness are in place, you can break through yourself. Just like I returned to the NBA from Europe, the same is true for society. Changing society will also encounter bottlenecks and requires good timing, but it is better because of this. Our efforts are needed.”
At present, John Amaechi is committed to helping gay players, especially football players. He hopes to help the movement grow further and fight for the rights that should originally belong to them. Even if they have different sexual orientations, it has nothing to do with their performance on the court, so please give them the same perspective. , treatment and opportunities.
