John Amaechi
John Amaechi | ||
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Player information | ||
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Full name | John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi | |
Nickname | Meech | |
birthday | November 26, 1970 | |
place of birth | Boston (MS), USA | |
size | 208 cm | |
position | Power forward | |
college | Vanderbilt , Penn State | |
Clubs as active | ||
1995–1996 Cleveland Cavaliers 1996–1997 Panathinaikos Athens 1997–1998 Children Bologna 1998–1999 CSP Limoges 1999–2001 Orlando Magic 2001–2003 Utah Jazz![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi , OBE (born November 26, 1970 in Boston , Massachusetts ) is a retired British-American basketball player who works as a reporter for English television stations.
youth
Amaechi was born in Boston, USA, to a Nigerian father and a British mother. He grew up with his mother in Stockport , England. They later moved to the United States , where he attended St. John's High School in Toledo, Ohio for a year .
Career in basketball
Amaechi began his basketball career in the high school league. He first played college basketball for one season at Vanderbilt University and then from 1992 to 1995 at Pennsylvania State University . His position was center . He is 2.08 m tall and averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in his career. He scored the first points in the NBA of the new millennium.
Amaechi played for the following clubs:
- 1995–1996: Cleveland Cavaliers , 28 games
- 1996-1997: Panathinaikos Athens
- 1997: Children of Bologna
- 1997-1998: Sheffield Sharks
- 1998-1999: CSP Limoges
- 1999-2002: Orlando Magic
- 1999–2000 season: 80 games
- 2000–2001 season: 82 games (all)
- 2001–2002 season: 54 games
- 2002–2003: Utah Jazz , 50 games
At times he was also a member of the English national team.
After active basketball
Amaechi studied psychology and, according to a statement on his website, is writing his doctoral thesis on psychology in children. He is also currently working as a reporter for the BBC , ITV , SKY and Channel 5 TV channels . A major activity besides being a reporter is his work at the ABC Foundation, a charity that builds sports centers for children in the UK and makes good coaches, mentors and teachers available. He was also the British Ambassador for the 2012 Olympics . In 2011, on the occasion of the Queen's birthday, he was inducted into the Order of the British Empire with the rank of officer for his services in the field of sport and volunteering .
In his 2007 autobiography, Man in the Middle , he came out. He is the first (former) NBA player to be open about his homosexuality .
Publications
- John Amaechi with Chris Bul: Man in the Middle. My life in and out of bounds . ESPN Books, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-933060-19-4 .
Web links
- official website (English)
- John Amaechi - player profile on basketball-reference.com
- archive.fiba.com: Players - John AMAECHI (ENG) - Overview of participation in FIBA competitions (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Cyd Zeigler jr. and Jim Buzinski: John Amaechi to come out publicly ( February 9, 2007 memento on the Internet Archive ) , Outsports.com, February 7, 2007
- ↑ BIRTHDAY HONORS LIST 2011. (PDF (634 KB)) BBC.co.uk , June 10, 2011, p. 8 , accessed on May 25, 2014 (English, listing of the winners according to religious level and alphabetical order).
- ↑ Ian Whittell: I'm gay, says British basketball star. In: Times Online. February 7, 2007, archived from the original on February 9, 2007 ; accessed on May 11, 2014 (English).
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Amaechi, John |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Amaechi, John Ekwugha |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English basketball player |
DATE OF BIRTH | November 26, 1970 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston , Massachusetts, USA |