Gay ex-NBAer John Amaechi calls Bob Huggins a ‘dinosaur’, says sports ‘are littered with them’

Former NBA player John Amaechi, an openly Gay man, has addressed comments made by West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins on a Cincinnati radio show on Monday.

Amaechi called Huggins a ‘dinosaur’ and referred to everyone in the conversation as ‘disgusting’ after the coach used homophobic slurs to refer to fans of Xavier University’s basketball team.

On Monday, Huggins, speaking to radio host Bill Cunningham, brought up an incident at a rivalry game against Xavier while he was the coach at the University of Cincinnati. He referred to Xavier fans as ‘Catholic f**s’ after the host appeared to make a joke about transgender people.

Amaechi, who has been out as gay since 2007, heard the comments and criticized Huggins while also lamenting that he is probably not the only one in sports to use such disparaging terms

‘I don’t know the man — but he sounds like a dinosaur,’ Amaechi told TMZ Sports. ‘College (and pro) sports are littered with them.’

Former NBA player John Amaechi has called West Virginia coach Bob Huggins a ‘dinosaur’

Huggins made homophobic comments on a Cincinnati radio show on Monday afternoon

Amaechi (26) – who has been out as gay since 2007 – played five seasons in the NBA

Amaechi also spoke out against the show’s hosts, saying that they ‘are also disgusting and to blame for egging this conversation on and calling him “the best” after he said those words.’

‘It’s hardly surprising that some people still think it’s OK to say these words,’ he added. 

‘As to whether he should be an educator (as a coach or otherwise), I would remind people that the vociferously anti-trans and anti-gay usually sit in a constellation where many other minority groups are also held in contempt.’

Amaechi played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Utah Jazz in five seasons in the NBA and has gone on to build a career as a noted psychologist and professor at universities across the UK.

‘I won an award the other day from the Sports Industry, and in my acceptance speech, I talked about sports being an empty vessel that people fill with who they are…,’ Amaechi said.

‘If you imagine what this man fills his sport with, it’s hard to imagine that the human outcomes will be positive, even if sporting success occurs.’

Huggins released a public apology for his comments through the West Virginia basketball Twitter account saying that he was ‘ashamed’. The school is actively reviewing the situation.