Gay NBA Player Gets Ad Deal

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Recently out NBA player John Amaechi has just signed on to represent HeadBlade, becoming the first openly gay male athlete to sign an endorsement deal with a mainstream company.

HeadBlade Inc., creators of a popular head-shaving razor, announced Monday it had signed Amaechi to a multiyear deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"I think it's fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand," said Amaechi in a statement.

For many gay athletes, concern about endorsement deals is one of the reasons they choose to stay in the closet.

Amaechi made history by becoming the first NBA player to come out as a gay man with the release of his memoir, "Man in the Middle" in February. The book is currently on The New York Times Best Seller List.

"John Amaechi is the newest face of the brand because he embodies many of the qualities representative of a HeadBlader," HeadBlade chief executive Todd Greene said. "He is a man comfortable in his own skin and he's not afraid to go against the grain."

Ironically, former NBA star Tim Hardaway were dropped from the very same position with rival company BaldGuyz, when he responded to Amaechi's coming out by saying "I hate gay people" during an interview with a South Florida radio show.