When I read about Amaechi's brave announcement tonight, I thought back to an article I ran on Amaechi, who was then playing for the Orlando Magic, back in 2001 when I was at the helm of the late, lamented Basketball Digest. The angle was that not only was Amaechi at the time emerging as one of the better centers in the East (Shaq was in LA, Ewing went to Seattle, Smits retired, and Zo came down with his kidney ailment), but, as the subhead read "Erudite Orlando center John Amaechi relishes his standing as the most unique player in the NBA." In respect to Amaechi's announcement, I found this passage from the 2001 article particularly fascinating:
His biggest pet peeve is stereotypes, which he calls "boxes." He fights the battle every day, trying to make people understand how he feels.
"If you're a ballplayer, you're supposed to have a big, fancy car, not be eloquent, spout cliches, and dress in a certain way," he says. "If you're a reporter, you do certain things, and you 'can't be trusted.' If you're a teacher, you're in a different box. Two people may look the same, but they are never the same."
Amaechi is anything but the stereotype. He listens to Mozart. He lives alone. He doesn't have an entourage. He reads child psychology textbooks. He speaks three languages. He walks through the Orlando locker room before a game looking for some milk to pour into his tea. He has a definitive plan for his life, and basketball is merely a minor part in it.
"I'm a box-buster," he says. "That confuses people. But that's good because it makes them think. I believe I'm special, unique, but it has nothing to do with basketball. Everyone out there is special, whatever they do."
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