How Do U Say Gay In Your Language? This Naija Guy Is Gay

Former NBA player Amaechi to reveal he is gay


BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT (TICKER) --
Former NBA player John Amaechi will declare he is gay in his book to be released later this month.
Amaechi would be the first NBA player to publicly declare his homosexuality and join a very short list of males in professional team sports who have come out.
The book is entitled "Man in the Middle" and is published by ESPN Books. Amaechi's declaration in the book was reported Wednesday on ESPN.com, and he will appear on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Currently a TV personality in England, Amaechi helps fund the Amaechi Basketball Center in Manchester, which encourages children to become involved in sports and their communities.
"I don't think (Amaechi's declaration) will have any effect on his ability to do that," said Cyd Ziegler, the co-founder of Outsports.com, a web site dedicated to the gay influence in sports. "You will have some people who will raise an eyebrow."
Amaechi, 36, was born in Massachusetts and raised in England. The 6-10 forward-center played collegiately at Penn State before entering the NBA in 1995.
In five seasons with Cleveland, Orlando and Utah, Amaechi averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds before retiring in 2003. While with the Jazz, he accused the coaching staff of making anti-gay remarks about him.
Very few male team sports members have publicly declared their homosexuality. Among them are former NFL players Esera Tuaolo, Roy Simmons, Dave Kopay and Jerry Smith and former baseball players Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.
Kopay told Outsports.com in an interview that he had a sexual encounter with Smith while they were teammates with the Washington Redskins in the 1960s.
Ziegler said he has read an advance copy of Amaechi's book and spoken with him on the telephone. He gave some insight to Amaechi's upbringing in England, where he was raised by his mother and felt isolated because of his size and black race.
After the 1999-2000 season, Amaechi was offered a $17 million multi-year contract by the Los Angeles Lakers, who featured Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and had just won the NBA title.
However, Amaechi elected to re-sign with the Orlando Magic at a much lower figure in order to maintain his commitment to some of the community programs he became involved with in central Florida.
"He's dedicated his life to philanthropy, " Ziegler said. "His real passion is helping kids."

Good for him, he does'nt have to APOLOGISE FOR WHO HE IS. aND WITH ALL HE'S DONE FOR CHARITY, HE'S MORE OF A MAN THAN MANY POOR EXCUSES OUT THERE.

I was shocked when i saw it, but i also think its a publicity stunt to sell his book, he has been out of NBA for some time now prolly abit broke

Well watching all those hot NBA guys shower will turn any guy gay so i don't blame him lol atleast he knows who he really is now instead of hiding it all these while.

Good luck to him. Very brave man.

what a shame

@ the topic

Good for him at least he was man enough to admit his gay, unlike this down low ones

@free
weting be nonsense

wetin u said be nonsense

@ free
it's not nonsense o, we can't change him for who he is but we can do is pray for him for God to enter is heart.

das not what he is

is all in his mind


i jus pray he will turn around

i hope so too, but i don't think it's possible, i feel like is to late for him to change sha.

Ok we've all heard his Gay can we just move on now, if his gay that's his business. Are we Nigerian nosey or what.

Am sure he is not the only NBA player.
Good that he has come out, now he can deal with his demons

Hey jboy what's your deal with gayness you've been talking about it all day

JosBoy4Lif:

Am sure he is not the only NBA player.
Good that he has come out, now he can deal with his demons

you right his not the only NBA player that happened to be gay that because most of them in the closet, and on the other hand you don't expect the gays in NBA to come out also only if they want their career to be over for them.

True say, I don't think too many players would want that person posting up on them yknow

oh boy. here we go. Good luck to him though. May he be happy

Why did he wait this long to come out-- I bet his naija father where ever he might be would be crying in silence.

I cannot help feeling sorry for him though, considering his background without a father figure, I've seen this case too often in the UK; boys that don't have any relation with black side, often raised by their white moms or foster parents/boy's boarding schools.

Amaechi has/had a Nigerian pa!Not a Nigerian!

Ayah, so you people wont accept the guy is Igbo? Genetics are a wonderful thing

Sharap Josboy

As far as I’m concerned, he is Nigerian, igbo to be precise. We are so quick in claiming NAS, SADE and chamillionaire as Nigerians. We cannot deny this one, he is naija

desiree,lol.
Justin Fashanu committed suicide becos of this issue,it is much easier for pple to come out nowadays

toptho:

desiree,lol.
Justin Fashanu committed suicide because of this issue,it is much easier for people to come out nowadays

True, it is better and more consequential to come out than to commit suicide. Justin’s case was just another sad example of absentee father and a black boy fostered by white folks.

Atleast he was bold enough to say it. Its pretty hard to admit such when you are involved in major sport in US.

Amaechi's not the only one to come out of the closet recently--UK Nairalanders probably know this guy better than I do, but [url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,1984350,00.html]Kele Okereke of Bloc Party[/url] hinted that he's gay recently, as did Rev. Jide Macauley, who has a predominantly gay Nigerian church.

In all likelihood, most of us on Nairaland probably know a gay Naija at home or abroad, whether they're out about it or not. Homosexuality is not new to Nigeria (or Africa, for that matter before someone comes to say something about how it's 'foreign' to 'African culture'). Gay Naijas are all around us in churches, schools, friends etc.

you people always try to prove what is not real.

Amaechi, 36, was born in Massachusetts and raised in England. The 6-10 forward-center played collegiately at Penn State before entering the NBA in 1995.

Is that a proper 9JA guy?

There is nothing like proper or improper Naija, as long as he has naija blood running in his veins then he is TOTALLY NIGERIAN

Kele was born in Nigeria, SO, what about that?

ah lol see my people oh lol nobody wan accept the boy? ayah. he is Naija mehn lol . Na wah o! why our brothers let us down now? anyway God dey.

this one no get 9ja mind and upbringing, na why e be gay