John Amaechi
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John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi , OBE (; born 26 November 1970) is an English
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
,
consultant A consultant (from "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice or services in an area of specialization (generally to medium or large-size corporations). Cons ...
and former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. He played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the Vanderbilt Commodores and Penn State Nittany Lions, and professional basketball in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). Amaechi also played in France, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Since retiring from basketball, Amaechi has worked as a psychologist and consultant, establishing his company Amaechi Performance Systems. In February 2007, Amaechi became the first former NBA player to publicly come out as gay after doing so in his memoir ''Man in the Middle''. Since then, he has been regarded as "one of the world's most high-profile gay athletes".


Early life and education

Amaechi was born in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
in the United States, to an English mother and a
Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...
Igbo father. He and his two younger sisters were raised by their mother in the Heaton Moor suburb of
Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...
, England, with him attending Mersey Vale Primary School before moving on to the Stockport Grammar School, the second oldest
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
in the north of England. He first played basketball at the age of 17, coached by Joe Forber, who he has described as a father figure. He then signed for the short-lived
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, now known as the Manchester Eagles His form for Manchester United saw Amaechi move to the United States to play high school basketball at St. John's Jesuit High School in
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
. He began playing
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
but transferred to
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
, where he was a two-time First Team Academic All-American selection. While at Penn State, Amaechi became a motivational public speaker and a mentor for area youth.


Basketball career

The , center was
undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
and then signed with the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
in 1995. Amaechi became the first undrafted player to start in his first NBA game as the Cavaliers' starting center,
Michael Cage Michael Jerome Cage Sr. (born January 28, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and current broadcast analyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Basketball career A 6'9" power forward/ center from San Diego State, he is the Az ...
, did not play in the season opener due to injury. Amaechi played 28 games for the Cavaliers during the 1995–96 season, then played for two years in Europe – for Cholet and
Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...
in France, for
Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...
in Italy, Panathinaikos in Greece and
Sheffield Sharks The Sheffield Sharks, currently known as B.Braun Sheffield Sharks for sponsorship reasons, are a professional basketball team from the city of Sheffield, England. The Sharks compete in the Super League Basketball and play their home matches at ...
in the United Kingdom. In September 1996, he won the
FIBA Intercontinental Cup The FIBA Intercontinental Cup, previously known to as the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs and the FIBA Club World Cup, is an annual international men's basketball competition organised by FIBA, the sport's global governing body. The competit ...
with Panathinaikos, being the highest scorer (alongside Fragiskos Alvertis) in the team with 59 points in three games of the tournament. In the 1997–98 season he played with
Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...
but left mid-season. He returned to the NBA, signing with the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
in 1999. In the 1999–2000 season he averaged 10.5 points in 21.1 minutes per game. Amaechi was known for turning down a $17 million contract offer from the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in 2000, opting to remain in Orlando for $600,000 per year. Amaechi went on to play for the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
from 2001 to 2003. He was traded to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
before the 2003–04 season in exchange for Glen Rice, and, though he was an active player, he did not participate in any games for them. The Rockets later traded him and
Moochie Norris Martyn Bernard "Moochie" Norris (born July 27, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who played several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as other leagues. He is the head coach of the Houston Push ...
to the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
for Clarence Weatherspoon before the Knicks bought him out of his contract and he eventually retired from playing the sport altogether.


Career statistics


EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1996–97 , style="text-align:left;", Panathinaikos , 16 , , , , 24.9 , , .549 , , , , .677 , , 5.8 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 11.0 , , , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;",
Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...
, 6 , , , , 14.2 , , .542 , , , , .647 , , 3.8 , , .5 , , .3 , , .0 , , 6.2 , , , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , , , 19.6 , , .546 , , , , .662 , , 4.8 , , .5 , , .7 , , .0 , , 8.6 , ,


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, 28 , , 3 , , 12.8 , , .414 , , , , .576 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .4 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Orlando , 80 , , 53 , , 21.1 , , .437 , , .167 , , .766 , , 3.3 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .5 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Orlando , 82 , , 36 , , 20.9 , , .400 , , .000 , , .631 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .3 , , .4 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 54 , , 0 , , 10.9 , , .325 , , , , .638 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .1 , , .2 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 50 , , 1 , , 9.5 , , .314 , , , , .481 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 294 , , 93 , , 16.4 , , .403 , , .077 , , .671 , , 2.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , .3 , , 6.2


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , .000 , , , , , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:left;", Orlando , 4 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .375 , , , , .750 , , .8 , , .8 , , .8 , , .5 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 2 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .250 , , , , .500 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 7 , , 0 , , 6.7 , , .308 , , , , .625 , , .6 , , .4 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.9


Career after basketball

Amaechi came out of retirement to represent England during the
2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...
in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, helping the England team win the bronze medal. In all, Amaechi appeared in 18 games for England. He has worked in the media, particularly as a commentator on basketball for British TV shows covering the NBA, and for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
during Olympic games. In addition, Amaechi was a judge on the BBC Series '' The Speaker'' in 2009. He has also been a regular guest host of the BBC Radio Manchester Business show with Steven Saul and has appeared on '' The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz'' on
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
as a guest and guest co-host. Amaechi owns Amaechi Performance Systems, which is a consultancy working with numerous companies to improve leadership and communication skills and organisational diversity. Amaechi is a member of the
American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...
, the
British Psychological Society The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. History It was founded on 24 October 1901 at University College London (UCL) as ''The Psychological Society'', the org ...
(BPS), the BPS Division of Organisational Psychology and the BPS Psychological Testing Centre. Amaechi also became a senior fellow at the centre for Emotional Literacy and Personal Development at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in the United Kingdom. Amaechi is also involved with the ABC Foundation in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, which encourages children to become involved in sports and their communities by building youth sports centres throughout the United Kingdom. The first such facility, the Amaechi Basketball Centre, was built in Manchester, not far from Amaechi's childhood home of Stockport. The venue is also home to the
English Basketball League The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a league competition representing semi-professional and amateur basketball clubs from England and Wales. It forms levels 2 to 5 on the British basketball pyramid, in line with the Scottish B ...
's Manchester Magic (men) and Manchester Mystics (women), both of which are owned by Amaechi. In a radio interview, Amaechi said that he was returning to school to get a PhD in psychology. "I want to do something more meaningful in my life," he said. Amaechi also explained why he played for Orlando in 2000 for much less than the $17 million offered to him by the Lakers; his answer was that Orlando had signed him in 1999 when no other team would. "There are many people who are asked what their word is worth, and when people ask me that I can say, 'At least $17 million.'" Amaechi retired from the NBA in 2003


Personal life

Amaechi is the first NBA player to share that he is gay. In February 2007, Amaechi spoke about his
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's '' Outside the Lines'' program. He also released a book, ''Man in the Middle'', published by ESPN Books, which discusses his career and life as a
closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for LGBTQ people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior. This metaphor is associated and sometime ...
professional athlete. Amaechi is the first
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) player to speak publicly about being gay. Few male team sports players in the United States have come out as gay. Former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player
Billy Bean William Daro Bean (May 11, 1964 – August 6, 2024) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers (1987–1989), Los Angeles Dodgers (1989), and San Diego Padres ...
wrote an op-ed in support of Amaechi's decision. Cyd Zeigler, the co-founder of Outsports.com, a website dedicated to the gay contribution to sports, said, "I don't think (Amaechi's declaration) will have any effect on his ability to do that," referring to Amaechi's businesses and charitable work. "You will have some people who will raise an eyebrow," Zeigler added. In a 2002 interview with '' Scotland on Sunday'', Amaechi had previously spoken about gays in the NBA: "If you look at our league, minorities aren't very well represented. There's hardly any Hispanic players, no Asian-Americans, so that there's no openly gay players is no real surprise. It would be like an alien dropping down from space. There'd be fear, then panic: they just wouldn't know how to handle it." In May 2007, a few months after coming out, Amaechi said he had "underestimated America", adding that he had expected the "wrath of a nation" but it never materialised. He made these statements despite having been the subject of death threats a few months earlier. In August 2008, Amaechi was sent to Beijing to do Olympic Men's and Women's Basketball broadcasts and reporting for the BBC. There, he wrote a blog with fellow activist and photographer Jeff Sheng in partnership with
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
. He used Sheng's knowledge of Mandarin and experience in Beijing to get behind the scenes and gather candid interviews with locals and Olympic athletes alike. In 2008, Amaechi made several appearances on '' Shirts & Skins'', a reality series on LOGO Television. He acted as team "mentor" and "psychologist" to the San Francisco Rockdogs, a gay basketball team, and shared his experiences on basketball, life, and coming out. In 2010, Amaechi made public that he had been denied entry to a gay bar in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, allegedly because the doorman felt he was "big, black and could be trouble". He said he was considering legal action.


Reaction from other players

One widely publicized response to Amaechi's announcement came from former NBA player Tim Hardaway, who stated that he would demand that a gay player be removed from his team: "First of all I wouldn't want him on my team. Second of all, if he was on my team I would really distance myself from him because I don't think that's right and I don't think he should be in the locker room when we're in the locker room. Something has to give. If you have 12 other ball players in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate." Hardaway later apologised for his remarks. Some players gave Amaechi public support: former Magic teammate
Grant Hill Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a part-owner of Orlando City SC of Major League ...
said: "the fact that John has done this, maybe it will give others the comfort or confidence to come out as well, whether they are playing or retiring."
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
told the New York ''Daily News'', "If he was on my team, I guess I would have to protect him from the outsiders, I'm not homophobic or anything. I'm not the type who judges people, I wish him well."
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...
said: "It shouldn't be a big deal to anybody. I know I've played with gay players and against gay players and it just shouldn't surprise anybody or be any issue." However, the prevailing public statements from NBA players tended toward an expression of mixed feelings on the matter.
Steven Hunter Steven Deon Hunter (born October 31, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He is listed as a center (basketball), center. He most recently played for Dinamo Basket Sassari, Dinamo Sassari. High school and college career H ...
said that he would accept an openly gay teammate "as long as he idn'tmake any advances toward me. As long as he came to play basketball like a man and conducted himself like a good person, I'd be fine with it." That sentiment was echoed, though less tactfully, by Shavlik Randolph, who said that "as long as you don't bring your gayness on me I'm fine. As far as business-wise, I'm sure I could play with him. But I think it would create a little awkwardness in the locker room." Pat Garrity warned that an openly gay player could expect to face both acceptance and hostility from his teammates. He said that "they would have teammates that would accept them for being a good person and a good teammate, and there would be people who would give him a hard time about it. I think that's true if you're playing basketball or in an office job. That's just how the world is right now."
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
said, "With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy. So that's like the No. 1 thing as teammates – we all trust each other.... It's a trust factor, honestly. A big trust factor."


Awards

Amaechi was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by Manchester Metropolitan University on 19 July 2007 in recognition of his achievements not only as an athlete and broadcaster, but also for his charitable work with the National Literacy Trust, the
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...
(NSPCC) and the establishment of the ABC Foundation to encourage children to become involved in sport and their community. Amaechi was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to sport and the voluntary sector. He was also conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by the
University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...
.


Bibliography

* *


References


External links

* * * *
Magic Meech holding his own in NBA court

Cuban says openly gay player would clean up

Audio interview
(MP3) with Amaechi on Mike and Mike in the Morning
browser-embedded audio player

Manchester Metropolitan University's Honorary Awards



Video:
Amaechi gives advice on Motivational Speaking on the website of BBC Two Serie
The Speaker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amaechi, John 1970 births Living people 20th-century English LGBTQ people 21st-century English LGBTQ people 21st-century English memoirists Academics of the University of Central Lancashire Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University Basketball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Black British sportsmen British expatriate basketball people in France British expatriate basketball people in Greece British expatriate basketball people in Italy British expatriate basketball people in the United States British male bloggers Centers (basketball) Cholet Basket players Cleveland Cavaliers players Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in basketball English bloggers English expatriate sportspeople in Italy English male non-fiction writers English men's basketball players English people of Igbo descent English people of Nigerian descent Igbo sportspeople Lega Basket Serie A players LGBTQ basketball players Black British LGBTQ people LGBTQ people from Massachusetts English gay sportsmen American gay sportsmen Limoges CSP players NBA players from England National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Officers of the Order of the British Empire Orlando Magic players Panathinaikos B.C. players Penn State Nittany Lions basketball players People educated at Stockport Grammar School People from Heaton Moor Sportspeople from the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport Power forwards Sheffield Sharks players Basketball players from Boston Undrafted NBA players Utah Jazz players Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball players Virtus Bologna players Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games LGBTQ psychologists English expatriate sportspeople in France English expatriate sportspeople in Greece Sportspeople from Boston 20th-century American sportsmen