John Amaechi Weighs In On Penn State

The Penn State scandal has rocked the college football and the sports world these last few weeks. The outpouring of emotion that came from the sudden revelations about what the university failed to do in response to the abuse allegations and reports that came from the alleged actions of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. This is not the space to fully discuss the heinous actions that Sandusky is alleged to have done and all the impacts it will have on the world of sports.

In fact, this story hardly touches basketball or the NBA. Still, though it creeps in.

So, of course we can turn to Penn State alumnus and former NBA player John Amaechi for some very reasoned perspective on the matter. Amaechi joined Dan Le Batard on his ESPN show earlier this week to talk about his feelings that have come from the Penn State scandal:


The whole interview is worth a listen. Amaechi is incredibly perceptive and incredibly on point in light of the outpouring of emotion that came from both sides — those who supported Joe Paterno and those who were outraged by his inaction. Amaechi admits embarrassment on having his name tied to Penn State and the shame and fear that came with working at Sandusky’s charity which helped children. His fear was that he and his fellow student athletes who volunteered with the organization unwittingly facilitated Sandusky’s alleged acts to groom potential abuse victims.

It is harrowing to think that, as a 20-year-old kid, you could have been used for something so obviously wrong.

Amaechi is probably most known for becoming the first NBA player to come out and announce he is a homosexual. That should not be what defines him as Amaechi is one of the most perceptive and smartest players ever to have been in the NBA. Even in his short playing career with the Magic and Jazz, he worked on becoming a child psychologist and he always enjoyed working with children. After he retired, he indeed became a child psychologist and recent was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services in sports and charity in England.

About Philip Rossman-Reich

Philip Rossman-Reich is the managing editor for Crossover Chronicles and Orlando Magic Daily. You can follow him on twitter @OMagicDaily

Quantcast