Former NBL star AJ Ogilvy has publicly come out as gay in a heartfelt conversation with fellow basketballer Isaac Humphries, released ahead of the league’s 2026 Pride Round.
Ogilvy, who played for the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks, reflected on his journey as a closeted player and the pressures he felt to conform to expectations during his professional basketball career.
“I was very lucky with my career,” Ogilvy said in the NBL’s video.
“I got to travel the world and get paid to play basketball, which is such a privilege. But I probably didn’t live my life as authentically as I probably could have during my time, especially in the NBL.”
“I Believed I Had To Present As Straight”
Ogilvy shared how, for much of his time in the league, he kept his personal life private—choosing to separate his identity from his sporting persona.
“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.
Ogilvy, now married for almost 19 months, met his partner while playing in Sydney. The two have been together throughout his time in Wollongong, and several former teammates even attended their wedding.
“Some of the guys probably knew, but nothing was ever explicitly said,” he added. “There was a level of recognition and knowledge around it, but just not openness.”
“I Just Didn’t Have That Personality”
In the one-on-one interview, Humphries asked whether Ogilvy had ever considered coming out publicly during his playing career.
“I think part of it was, I viewed it as just my business,” Ogilvy said.
“The world shifted, probably in between our generations.”
While Ogilvy said he was vocal during Australia’s marriage equality vote, he didn’t feel ready to share his full truth at the time.
“I just didn’t have the personality that you have,” he told Humphries.
“I don’t think I could have carried it the way that you do.”
The Power of Visibility in Basketball
Humphries, who came out in November 2022, became the first openly gay player in the NBL, a moment Ogilvy described as “huge” for basketball both in Australia and globally.
“To have someone of your stature and attitude be able to step forward and proudly say this is who you are… that visibility and acceptance is really important,” Ogilvy said.
Ogilvy revealed that growing up, he rarely saw positive portrayals of gay men—especially within basketball or the broader media.
“It was more that it was going to be a sad, lonely life. That definitely weighed on me pretty heavily.”
Pride Round Returns for 2026
The NBL Pride Round returns in 2026, continuing its mission to promote inclusion and diversity across the sport. Throughout the round, teams will host a variety of community-focused and visibility-driven initiatives under the theme “Everyone Belongs in Basketball.”
“What the NBL has done with Pride Round, growing year on year — there’s now a place for us to have this conversation,” Ogilvy said.
“It gives people someone else to reach out to. It doesn’t have to be people on the court—Pride Rounds are for everyone.”
Pride Rounds will be hosted at:
- Round 18: Perth, New Zealand, South East Melbourne, and Tasmania
- Round 19: Sydney, Cairns, Adelaide, and Illawarra
- Round 20: Melbourne and Brisbane
As Humphries noted:
“We’ve got a player who plays every weekend, who is openly gay, and an ex-player now, who’s openly gay and married. That visibility continues to move our great league forward.”
