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N.B.A. Center Jason Collins Comes Out as Gay With Words ‘I’m Gay,’ an N.B.A. Center Breaks a Last Barrier
(about 3 hours later)
Jason Collins, a 12-year N.B.A. veteran, has come out as the first openly gay male athlete still active in a major American team sport. In 12 seasons as an N.B.A. player, Jason Collins has never been an All-Star or a scoring leader or even a full-time starter. But on Monday, he shattered one of the last great barriers in professional sports.
“I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” Collins writes in the May 6 edition of Sports Illustrated. The magazine published the article online Monday morning. “I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m black and I’m gay,” Collins, who finished this season with the Washington Wizards, writes in the May 6 edition of Sports Illustrated. The magazine published the article online Monday morning.
The announcement makes Collins a pioneer of sorts: the first player in the N.B.A., the N.F.L., the N.H.L. or Major League Baseball to come out while still pursuing his career. Other gay athletes, including the former N.B.A. center John Amaechi, have waited until retirement to divulge their sexuality publicly. With that statement, Collins became the first openly gay male athlete who is still active in a major American team sport. Other gay athletes, including the former N.B.A. center John Amaechi, have waited until retirement to divulge their sexuality publicly.
The announcement followed recent decisions by two other prominent athletes — the American soccer player Robbie Rogers and the women’s basketball player Brittney Griner — to acknowledge that they are gay. When Rogers, 25, revealed last month that he is gay, he also said he was retiring from soccer. (He has since indicated he may play again.) Griner, the No. 1 pick in the W.N.B.A. draft, will soon embark on her professional career. The announcement followed recent decisions by two other athletes — the American soccer player Robbie Rogers and the women’s basketball player Brittney Griner — to acknowledge that they are gay. When Rogers, 25, revealed last month that he was gay he also said he was retiring from soccer. (He has since indicated he may play again.) Griner, the No. 1 pick in the W.N.B.A. draft, will soon embark on her pro career.
Collins, who split this season between the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards, will become a free agent on July 1. He intends to pursue another contract in the summer, which may serve as a test for how N.B.A. teams respond to the announcement. Collins’s announcement was greeted with an outpouring of support from teammates, league executives and major N.B.A. stars, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade among them.
In his essay, Collins alludes to the situation, writing: “I’ve reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.” “Proud of @jasoncollins34,” Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, wrote on his Twitter account. “Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others.” Bryant added two hashtags: “courage” and “support.”
Collins’s decision drew widespread praise and admiration across the athletic and political realms on social media. While it remains unclear how he will be perceived by strangers, by N.B.A. executives looking for a bench player for next season or even by potential teammates, he received unequivocal public support from those around the league. Some of the N.B.A.’s biggest names followed suit, including the Lakers’ Steve Nash, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, the Knicks’ Jason Kidd and San Antonio’s Tony Parker. Several teams sent out statements of support. Prominent coaches, including Boston’s Doc Rivers, who has worked with Collins, gave support in interviews.
On Twitter, the Lakers star Kobe Bryant wrote: “Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others.” Bryant added two hashtags: “courage” and “support.” However, one N.F.L. player, Mike Wallace of the Miami Dolphins, posted a comment on Twitter: “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys.” He later deleted the comment and issued an apology.
Martina Navratilova, an openly gay former tennis player, viewed the news in a broad context. She believes Collins’s announcement will affect people he will never meet. And on ESPN, the N.B.A. analyst Chris Broussard, citing his religious beliefs, said that living openly as a homosexual was a sin and that doing so was “walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.”
“That was the first thing I thought: this is going to save some kids’ lives,” Navratilova said. “That’s brilliant. When you can affect people in such a positive way by being true to yourself, it’s amazing.” But those comments were greatly outweighed by the supportive ones Collins received, particularly from his N.B.A. peers.
Collins grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs and played college basketball at Stanford, which he helped lead to the Final Four. He was drafted in the first round of the 2001 N.B.A. draft, 18th over all, and played most of his first seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets. He has since played for Memphis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston and Washington. In his professional career, he has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game and played in two N.B.A. finals. “The overwhelming positive reaction does not surprise me,” N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern said in a telephone interview. “Our players are actually knowledgeable and sophisticated on this issue, and our teams understand it completely. I would have expected them to be supportive, and they are.”
But he kept his sexuality deeply closeted. Collins’s only public hint to the gay community was a sly one. He wore No. 98 for the Celtics and the Wizards, in honor of Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student who was killed in 1998. “The number has great significance to the gay community,” Collins wrote. President Obama called Collins “to express his support and said he was impressed by his courage,” according to a tweet from the White House. Michelle Obama, on her Twitter account, called Collins’s announcement “a huge step forward for our country.”
In an accompanying essay, Collins’s twin brother, Jarron, also an N.B.A. veteran, wrote that he “had no idea” that Jason was gay until Jason told him last summer. Collins becomes a free agent on July 1 and intends to pursue another contract, which might be viewed as a truer test for how N.B.A. teams deal with a gay athlete. However, complicating that question is the fact that Collins, at 34, is a marginal player with limited skills, more valued for his locker-room presence than his play and not at the top of anyone’s list of players to sign. He appeared in just 38 games this season, which he split between the Boston Celtics and the Wizards, and was used sparingly.
Collins was never among the most skilled centers to begin with, instead relying on his size (7 feet, 255 pounds), intelligence and work ethic to carve out a niche after being drafted 18th over all in 2001.
In his Sports Illustrated essay, Collins alludes to his future status in the league: “I’ve reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.”
One N.B.A. scout estimated that Collins had a 25 percent chance of making an opening-night roster next season, based solely on his basketball skills. But a general manager for another team predicted that Collins would be back in the league because of his reputation as a solid teammate and leader. That general manager said that Collins’s disclosure of his sexuality could even appeal to a forward-thinking owner.
Dave Kopay, who came out as gay in 1975 after a nine-year N.F.L. career, said on Monday he had waited nearly 40 years for this moment. “What he did is not easy,” Kopay said. “And I’m overwhelmed with how he’s done this. I’m so, so happy right now.”
Amaechi, who announced that he was gay after a five-year N.B.A. career, called Collins’s public declaration “undoubtedly groundbreaking.”Amaechi, who announced that he was gay after a five-year N.B.A. career, called Collins’s public declaration “undoubtedly groundbreaking.”
“We are unusually blessed to have such an eloquent spokesperson,” Amaechi said in a phone interview from England, where he lives. “When I say ‘we,’ I mean society, as opposed to just gay people. Anybody who has ever interviewed Jason knows he is not just your average athlete. He’s cerebral, thoughtful, kind — so many things that many athletes are not enough of. Add this authentic declaration on top of things, it makes him one of the perfect role models for our young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, color or gender.” “We are unusually blessed to have such an eloquent spokesman,” Amaechi said in a phone interview from England, where he lives. “When I say ‘we,’ I mean society, as opposed to just gay people. Anybody who has ever interviewed Jason knows he is not just your average athlete. He’s cerebral, thoughtful, kind — so many things that many athletes are not enough of. Add this authentic declaration on top of things, it makes him one of the perfect role models for our young people.”
Amaechi was among several gay-rights advocates who said it matters whether Collins plays next season.Amaechi was among several gay-rights advocates who said it matters whether Collins plays next season.
“If he’s not on a team, he’s just another guy who did it at the end of his career, and he retired,” said Jim Buzinski, a co-founder of Outsports, a Web site devoted to gays and sports. “Until we see him walking onto a court, in either a starting lineup or in a backup role off the bench, and there’s that anticipation that Jason Collins is going to step on the floor — it’s not going to matter as much until that moment. That’s what everyone is waiting for.”“If he’s not on a team, he’s just another guy who did it at the end of his career, and he retired,” said Jim Buzinski, a co-founder of Outsports, a Web site devoted to gays and sports. “Until we see him walking onto a court, in either a starting lineup or in a backup role off the bench, and there’s that anticipation that Jason Collins is going to step on the floor — it’s not going to matter as much until that moment. That’s what everyone is waiting for.”
Still, Buzinski and others said this moment was a historic one. Until now, Collins’ only public hint of his orientation was a sly one. He wore No. 98 for the Celtics and Wizards, in honor of Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student who was killed in 1998. “The number has great significance to the gay community,” Collins wrote.
“This guy is going to hopefully prove that you can be gay and play in professional sports,” he said. “He came out on his own terms, which, to me, sort of serves as a model for how to do this. The story was so beautifully written. He told it in his own words, how he wanted to, and said what he wanted to say. That he should be an inspiration to people in terms of someone showing character and courage.” Collins informed his Wizards teammates, as well as Stern, in a series of phone calls Monday morning, before the story was published online. One Wizards teammate, Emeka Okafor, said that if Collins returns to Washington, “we’ll welcome him back with open arms.”
N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern released a statement welcoming the announcement. “He’s still the same guy,” Okafor said. “He’s just let us know more about him.”
“Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career,” Stern said, “and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.” Collins grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs and played college basketball at Stanford. As a professional, Collins has averaged a modest 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game while playing for six teams. He spent most of his first seven seasons with the Nets, helping them make the finals in 2002 and 2003.
All of the major sports leagues have been preparing, to various degrees, for the moment when an active player comes out. The N.F.L., amid speculation that a handful of players were preparing to make the move en masse, began working with gay advocacy groups to smooth the way for acceptance. The N.H.L. also recently announced a comprehensive program for training and counseling on gay issues for its teams and players. But Collins kept his sexuality deeply closeted. In an accompanying essay in Sports Illustrated, Collins’s twin brother, Jarron — a former N.B.A. center who now scouts for the Los Angeles Clippers — wrote that he “had no idea” that Jason was gay until Jason told him last summer.
The N.B.A. has long included education in this area in both its rookie and veteran development programs. League officials have typically played down the need to prepare for an active player coming out, believing that the moment would be greeted with a collective shrug, or should be. Collins’s announcement also surprised his closest friends, including Mark Madsen, who played three years with Collins at Stanford and another season in the N.B.A., with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Madsen was among the people Collins called Monday morning.
As Stern said in a recent New York Times article, “It’s our fervent hope that this draws less attention, not more, when a player eventually comes out.” “I would say one of Jason’s amazing characteristics is he has always been unafraid to express his opinion,” Madsen said in a telephone interview, adding, “He’s not going to be afraid of anything, really.”
There was little chance of that, given the rising focus on the lack of an openly gay male athlete in a major American team sport. Navratilova said that gay rights, while growing, had not reached the point where coming out was no longer big news. The Nets’ Jerry Stackhouse said that Collins, his teammate for one season in Atlanta, was the perfect individual “to carry the flag for other players.”
“People say it shouldn’t be a big deal,” she said. “I say: ‘Yeah, it shouldn’t be. But it is.’ And that’s because we are not equal. Every little bit helps. And this is a huge bit.” “The fact that Jason’s been in the league for 12 years and has had so many different teammates, he’s got people to vouch for him,” Stackhouse said.
Collins wrote that he considered coming out a couple of years ago. He made the decision to do so when Joseph P. Kennedy III, Collins’s roommate at Stanford, marched in Boston’s gay pride parade last year. Collins said he was envious and frustrated. All of the major sports leagues have been preparing, to various degrees, for the moment when an active player comes out. The N.F.L., amid speculation that a handful of players were preparing to make the move en masse, has been working with gay advocacy groups to smooth the way for acceptance. The N.H.L. also recently announced a comprehensive program for training and counseling on gay issues for its teams and players. The N.B.A. has long included education in this area in both its rookie and veteran development programs.
“I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore,” Collins wrote. “I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, ‘Me, too.’ ” In his article, Collins wrote that he considered coming out a couple of years ago. He said he made the decision to do so when Joseph P. Kennedy III, Collins’s roommate at Stanford, marched in Boston’s gay pride parade last year. Collins said he was envious and frustrated.
On Monday, Kennedy, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy who won the Congressional seat vacated by Barney Frank, released a statement of support. “I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore,” Collins wrote. “I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, ‘Me, too.’ “
“For as long as I’ve known Jason Collins, he has been defined by three things: his passion for the sport he loves, his unwavering integrity and the biggest heart you will ever find,” Kennedy said. “Without question or hesitation, he gives everything he’s got to those of us lucky enough to be in his life. I’m proud to stand with him today and proud to call him a friend.”

Zach Schonbrun contributed reporting.

Chelsea Clinton, who attended Stanford with Collins, also tweeted her support.
“Very proud of my friend Jason Collins for having the strength & courage to be the first openly gay player in the N.B.A.,” she wrote.
Hudson Taylor, a former college wrestler who founded Athlete Ally, a group hoping to eradicate homophobia in sports that has enlisted several current and former professional athletes, said that he did not expect a sudden swell of closeted gay athletes to declare their sexuality publicly. But they will be watching.
“They will be looking at the N.B.A.'s reaction, the reaction of the fans and the players, to see if it’s not as scary as perhaps it’s perceived to be,” Taylor said.
Collins wrote that he did not expect to become a pioneer.
“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport,” he wrote. “But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”