HBO’s Bill Maher is back from a two-month break. I caught his show this morning thanks to TIVO. Favorite moments abounded. Like Maher asserting the word “worse” right after panelist Carly Fiorina said something about Bush being our president … “for better or for worse.”

And Bill’s New Rules riff on monster-mouthed Colorado pastor Ted Haggard’s miraculous 30 day Gay-Be-Gone conversion was a scream. As Maher told it: “You can’t make a gay man 100 percent straight in a month, especially if that month contains fashion week…A month to change your sexuality? I’ve spent longer than that on hold trying to quit AOL!”

But the best part of the show was also the smartest: Maher’s interview with John Amaechi (right) the former NBA star who recently outed himself.

With the 24/7 media suck surrounding Anna Nicole’s ascension you might have missed the big Amaechi news: A smart, tall, handsome black (yes, please do a double-read) sports star announced that he is gay. Certainly not earth-shattering, but it’s a hell of lot more exciting than Doogie Howser and T.J. Maxx (or whatever that other guy’s name is from Grey’s Anatomy) popping out of the closet.

So what if Anderson Cooper was finally outed (again!?) by columnist Josh Kilmer-Purcell in the latest issue of Out magazine? That had about as much impact as discovering Liberace was banging his chauffeur back in the early 80s.

But black NBA dudes? That’s a whole other ball game. Sorry.

Sports star outings are undeniably inspiring. But black male sports stars coming out? That’s akin to the Pope announcing he has a penchant for male bambinos.

Bombshells like Amaechi’s turn realities upside down — especially within the black hetero brotherhood where homosexuality is disdained with Biblical fervor. Forcing folks like Tim Hardaway– another former black NBA star — to go cuckoo and start spouting shit like: “I hate gay people. I’m homophobic. Gay people shouldn’t be allowed in the USA.”

Sports star outings force us to challenge the culture’s most entrenched, archaic stereotypes. But black male sports star outings are gifts from the Gods of Mindfuck. You just can’t let them pass without lots of gratitude.

Professional sports is the last bastion of rugged butch maleness on the planet, right? Not according to Amaechi. Here’s a snippet of the Maher interview:

Maher: You said the locker room was just about the gayest place you’d ever seen in your life. Tell us why you said that?

Amaechi: Sometimes you can be in a locker room, a professional locker room, and it’s like watching a flock of peacocks preening themselves and looking at each other. And I would sit there sometimes while a team mate might be painting his toenails seasonally. Another teammate might be tweasing eyebrows. And I’m sitting there and thinking ‘I’m the gay one?’

Amaechi is British and posh-sounding. During the interview with Maher he was charming and adroit. But that impression had nothing to do with the sound of his voice. He’s a smart, on-the-mark sort of guy. In fact his relaxed, centered demeanor put in high relief Maher’s slightly awkward orientation towards all things homo. Bill is well-meaning but you can tell that he just doesn’t get ‘the gays.’ He’s for us without understanding us in the least. Fair enough. At least he tries.

If you missed the interview you can watch it on The Largest Minority.

And when you’re done with the interview pick up a copy of John’s new book. In fact let’s make it a team effort and buy in bulk — and then pass a copy or two along to our friends.

This super new gay hero needs a lucrative launch to his nascent career as Truth Advocate — and teller of locker room secrets.

And for Mr. Hardaway. This Youtube’s for you: