Gay former pro basketball star comes out, played at Vanderbilt
AJ Ogilvy was a stand-out center for Vanderbilt and in Australia’s NBL. He’s speaking for the first time in the media about being gay. The post Gay former pro basketball star comes out, played at Vanderbilt appeared first on Outsports.
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AJ Ogilvy, a powerhouse of Australian basketball and a three-time All-NBL First Team selection, has come out publicly as gay.
The 37-year-old, who retired from the sport in 2022, shared his truth in a one-to-one interview with Isaac Humphries, the NBL’s only active out gay player.
As part of their conversation, timed to coincide with the NBL’s Pride Round, Ogilvy also talks about being married to his husband for nearly 18 months.
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The Sydney-born center enjoyed a 12-year career playing in elite leagues in Spain, Germany, Turkey, and Australia, having played college basketball for Vanderbilt University. He declared for the NBA Draft in 2010, but went undrafted.
During his time in the NBL with the Sydney Kings and the Illawarra Hawks, Ogilvy says he compartmentalized parts of his life in order to protect his privacy.
That included having two separate social media identities — a “public” account for his athletic career, and a private one for close friends and family.
“(I) probably didn’t live my life as authentically as I could have during my time, especially in the NBL,” says Ogilvy. “There was a level of recognition and knowledge around it, but just not openness. I viewed it as just my business.”
@nbl Former NBL player AJ Ogilvy shares his story in an open and honest conversation about Pride, inclusion and sport with Isaac Humphries. Thank you AJ and Isaac for sharing your stories and leading with courage
♬ original sound – NBL
He says he met his now-husband during the 2013-14, season while playing in Sydney. It means Ogilvy spent nearly a decade keeping his boyfriend a secret while starring in the NBL.
He says Humphries’ coming-out moment in 2022 began to make him think differently about visibility.
Humphries was with Melbourne United at the time, and is now with Adelaide 36ers. When his coming-out video was going viral, Ogilvy’s phone started blowing up with messages from friends asking, “Did you see this?”
In their chat, published on the NBL website and by Australia’s Fox Sports, Ogilvy explains how he is still impressed by Humphries’ courage and that the NBL’s commitment to holding a Pride Round provided that final push for him to go public too.
“That was just such a huge moment, not just in the NBL, but basketball across the world,” Ogilvy tells Humphries.
“Hugely beneficial to have someone of your stature and attitude be able to step forward and proudly say, ‘This is who you are’.”
He also describes the challenges of his childhood in the Sydney suburbs, as he struggled to come to terms with being gay.
“There just wasn’t positive portrayals of gay relationships growing up,” he said. “It was more, it’s going to be a sad life, a lonely life, definitely weighed on me pretty heavily.”
The NBL’s fourth annual Pride Round got underway this week.
“Pride Round is for everyone,” says Ogilvy. “It’s about making sure everyone feels included.”
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The post Gay former pro basketball star comes out, played at Vanderbilt appeared first on Outsports.
