The nomination was made in the recent "Queen's Birthday List". While anyone can be nominated for an honour, only exceptional people receive one. People from across the United Kingdom receive honours in recognition of outstanding achievement and service to society.
A total of 965 people have been recommended to the Queen for an award for this Queen's Birthday List.
Here's John's response to this honor via ESPN's MVP Ultimate Basketball:
Former NBA and BBL centre John Amaechi hopes his Order of the British Empire for services to basketball can inspire other British prospects to aspire to chase seemingly impossible dreams in the sport.
The now retired England international – who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz – as well as a host of leading European clubs, was also honoured in the Queen’s Birthday List for his work with troubled youth on both sides of the Atlantic.
After setting up his own basketball centre in his native Manchester, the 40-year-old has worked with the Big Brothers mentoring scheme while devoting much of his time to political activities surrounding social inclusion and gay rights.
Having been told that he was “too late for the game” after only starting basketball at the age of 17, Amaechi admits the award is further payback for his fight against the odds.
“I believe that much of my success is directly attributable to my family and close friends who have always supported me, as well as to those individuals and organisations with whom I have been privileged to partner over the years, to promote equality and human rights here in the UK and across the world,” he said.
“I see this honour as a chance to reach out and do more to create an equality of opportunity for all people, but especially to inspire young people. I was once an overweight bookworm who hid in the corner of my school library and wished I was invisible.
About the OBE:
The Order of the British Empire recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds.
It was created during the First World War in 1917 by George V. The King recognised the need for a new award of honour which could be more widely awarded, in recognition of the large numbers of people in the British Isles and other parts of the Empire who were helping the war effort both as combatants and as civilians on the home front.
For the first time, women were included in an order of chivalry, and it was decided that the Order should also include foreigners who had helped the British war effort.
From 1918 onwards there were Military and Civil Divisions, as George V also intended that after the war the Order should be used to reward services to the State in a much wider sense.
Today the Order of the British Empire is the order of chivalry of British democracy. Valuable service is the only criterion for the award, and the Order is now used to reward service in a wide range of useful activities.
Citizens from other countries may also receive an honorary award, for services rendered to the United Kingdom and its people. There are more than 100,000 living members of the Order throughout the world.
After some debate, St Paul's Cathedral was nominated by a special committee and approved by The Queen, as the Chapel of the Order. As the cathedral of the capital city, it could accommodate services attended by very large congregations. In the words of one committee member, 'St Paul's symbolised the victory of the British spirit during the war of 1939-45 in that, although badly damaged and shaken, it survived the ordeal by battle in an almost miraculous way.'
A Chapel for the Order was built in the cathedral crypt (where Nelson, Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren are buried, amongst others). Its formal dedication in 1969 was attended by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh (Grand Master of the Order). Once every four years, approximately 2,000 members of the Order attend a service there to celebrate the Order. Many people who have been awarded an honour from overseas attend these services, and each person attending wears their award.
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