Retired Australian basketball star Andrew Ogilvy has made a significant personal announcement, revealing he is gay in a heartfelt interview conducted as part of the National Basketball League's fourth annual Pride Round celebrations.
A Courageous Conversation During Pride Round
The three-time All-NBL first team centre, widely known as "AJ", shared his story with Adelaide 36ers player Isaac Humphries, marking a pivotal moment in Australian sports. Ogilvy explained that the current climate has created space for these important discussions.
"There's now a place for us to have this conversation, to be able to talk as openly as this," Ogilvy said when asked about his decision to come out publicly. "If people want to talk to someone, people want to be able to ask opinions, ask questions, it gives them someone else to reach to."
An Impressive Basketball Career
Ogilvy enjoyed a distinguished professional basketball career spanning multiple countries and competitions. He made 218 appearances in the NBL and also played professionally in Spain, Turkey, and Germany, where he secured a Basketball Bundesliga championship.
The centre spent the majority of his NBL career with the Illawarra Hawks, leading the team to a grand final appearance in 2017. This achievement represented one of only five times the foundation club has reached the championship decider. Ogilvy ultimately retired from professional basketball in 2022.
Personal Life and Marriage
During the interview, Ogilvy revealed he has been married to his long-time partner for eighteen months, with several teammates attending their wedding ceremony. The couple first met while Ogilvy was playing for the Sydney Kings during the 2013-14 NBL season.
The thirty-seven-year-old acknowledged that some teammates were aware of his relationship during his playing career, but he never felt completely comfortable publicly coming out while actively competing.
"I probably didn't live my life as authentically as probably could have during my time, especially in the NBL," Ogilvy reflected. "Part of it was a view that it was just my business, but the world shifted between our generations. When the marriage equality vote rolled around in 2017, I was very vocal around that while still not publicly saying, 'I'm a gay man.'"
Inspiration from Isaac Humphries
Ogilvy credited Humphries with giving him the courage to make his own announcement. Humphries, while playing for Melbourne United in 2022, became the second active men's professional basketball player to come out after NBA centre Jason Collins did so in 2013.
"It was hugely beneficial to have someone of your stature and attitude be able to step forward and say this is who you are," Ogilvy told Humphries during their conversation.
Humphries praised Ogilvy for his announcement, emphasizing the importance of visibility within the basketball community. "It's not about forcing or anything, it's just a bit of visibility for a community," Humphries said. "Everybody is welcome. Basketball is such a universal space and universal game, why wouldn't we also celebrate this community?"
Current Basketball Context
Humphries remains on the roster at the ladder-leading Adelaide 36ers, who are aiming for their first championship since 2002. The NBL's Pride Round, which facilitated this important conversation, is being played across rounds eighteen and twenty of the current season.
This announcement represents another step forward for LGBTQ+ visibility in Australian professional sports, following similar revelations from other athletes in recent years. The interview provides valuable representation and opens important conversations about authenticity and inclusion within sporting communities.
