John Amaechi facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 November 1970 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Nationality | British / Nigerian | |||||||||||||
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1995 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1995–2003 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | Manchester United Basketball | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Cholet | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Panathinaikos | |||||||||||||
| 1997 | Virtus Bologna | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Sheffield Sharks | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | CSP Limoges | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 1,837 (6.2 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 772 (2.6 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 228 (0.8 apg) | |||||||||||||
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John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE (born 26 November 1970) is a British psychologist and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Vanderbilt and Penn State. He also played professional basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. Amaechi played for teams in France, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom too. After retiring from basketball, Amaechi became a psychologist and consultant. He started his own company called Amaechi Performance Systems.
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Early Life and Education
Amaechi was born in Boston, USA. His mother was English, and his father was Nigerian. He and his two younger sisters grew up in Stockport, England. They were raised by their mother.
He went to Mersey Vale Primary School and then Stockport Grammar School. Amaechi started playing basketball at age 17. His coach, Joe Forber, was a very important person in his life. He then played for a team called Manchester United Basketball.
His skills led him to move to the United States. He played high school basketball at St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio. He started college basketball at Vanderbilt. Later, he moved to Penn State. At Penn State, he was recognized twice as a top academic athlete. While there, Amaechi also became a public speaker and helped young people.
Basketball Career Highlights
John Amaechi is 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 270 pounds as a player. He played as a center. He was not chosen in the NBA draft, but he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995. Amaechi was the first undrafted player to start his first NBA game. This happened because the Cavaliers' usual starting center was injured.
He played 28 games for the Cavaliers during the 1995–96 season. After that, he played in Europe for two years. He played for teams in France, Italy, Greece, and the United Kingdom. In 1996, he won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup with Panathinaikos. He was one of the top scorers in that tournament.
Amaechi returned to the NBA in 1999, signing with the Orlando Magic. In the 1999–2000 season, he averaged 10.5 points per game. Amaechi famously turned down a large contract offer from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. He chose to stay with the Orlando Magic for a much smaller salary. He explained that Orlando had signed him when no other team would, showing his loyalty.
He then played for the Utah Jazz from 2001 to 2003. Before the 2003–04 season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. He did not play any games for them. The Rockets later traded him to the New York Knicks. The Knicks then bought out his contract, and he retired from playing basketball.
Life After Basketball
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Amaechi came out of retirement to play for England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He helped the England team win a bronze medal. Overall, Amaechi played 18 games for England.
He has worked in the media, commenting on basketball for British TV shows. He also worked for the BBC during the Olympic games. In 2009, Amaechi was a judge on the BBC show The Speaker. He has also been a guest host on BBC Radio Manchester.
Amaechi owns Amaechi Performance Systems. This company works with many businesses to help them improve leadership and communication. They also help companies with diversity.
He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the British Psychological Society. Amaechi is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN).
Amaechi is involved with the ABC Foundation in Manchester. This foundation helps children get involved in sports and their communities. They build youth sports centers across the United Kingdom. The first center, the Amaechi Basketball Centre, is in Manchester. This center is also home to the English Basketball League's Manchester Magic (men's team) and Manchester Mystics (women's team). Amaechi owns both of these teams.
He has also gone back to school to get a PhD in psychology. He wants to do something more meaningful with his life.
Awards and Recognition
John Amaechi has received several honors. Manchester Metropolitan University gave him an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in 2007. This was for his achievements as an athlete and broadcaster. It also recognized his charity work with the National Literacy Trust and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The award also honored his work in setting up the ABC Foundation.
Amaechi was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011. This award was for his services to sport and his volunteer work. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of East London.
