Former NBL star AJ Ogilvy comes out as gay after retirement
During the interview, Ogilvy confirmed he's been married for nearly 18 months, explaining the relationship began while he was still playing
By Callum Wells
Retired Australian basketball player AJ Ogilvy has publicly come out as gay.
The former centre, now 37, shared his story in a recorded conversation with Isaac Humphries, the NBL (National Basketball League)’s only active gay player. The interview was released ahead of the league’s annual Pride Round, which runs from 21 January to 1 February.
Ogilvy spent eight seasons in the NBL, playing for the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks, and was selected to the All-NBL First Team on three occasions. He also played professionally in Europe and the United States after graduating from Vanderbilt University.
“For a long time, I believed that to be a basketballer, I had to present as straight and not show this side of my personality” – AJ Ogilvy
During the interview, Ogilvy confirmed he has been married for nearly 18 months, explaining that his relationship began while he was still playing. “I’ve been married for nearly 18 months now. I met my husband when I was playing in Sydney, so I was with him for all my time in Wollongong and part of the time in Sydney,” he said.
While he said some teammates may have been aware of his sexuality, Ogilvy explained that he did not address it directly during his playing career. “While I was in Sydney, I kept [my two lives] pretty separate, but I also wasn’t super discreet about it. Some of the guys probably knew, but nothing was ever explicitly said.”
Ogilvy also spoke about the pressure he felt to separate his public and private identities, including maintaining two social media accounts during his time in the league. “For a long time, I believed that to be a basketballer, I had to present as straight and not show this side of my personality,” he said.
“So I had two social media accounts, one I’d use for my basketball stuff and one I just had tight friends on, where I would be more open.”
The NBL Pride Round includes club-led initiatives focused on inclusion, education and community engagement
Humphries, who came out publicly in 2022 while playing for the Adelaide 36ers, described Ogilvy’s decision to speak openly as significant for the league.
“We’ve got a player who plays every weekend, who is openly gay and an ex-player now, who’s openly gay and married, who’s prepared to talk about this life and these situations,” Humphries said. “That visibility and acceptance are really important, and it continues to move our great league forward.”
The NBL Pride Round, now in its fourth year, includes club-led initiatives focused on inclusion, education and community engagement across the league’s venues.
NBL CEO David Stevenson said the initiative is intended to highlight diversity within the sport and reinforce a commitment to inclusion across all levels of basketball.
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