NBA: Jason Collins, Openly Gay

[Fatal Dawn]

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.
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“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.

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.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/sports/basketball/nba-center-jason-collins-comes-out-as-gay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[DrLeftover]

"I'm a 53 year old half-drunken, half-crippled, ex-sportswriter, and I'm not."

Hang on, the phone's ringing, I think CNN is calling me to do a story.... ... ...

no, sorry, it was some robot wanting to sell carpet cleaning.

oh well.

 

[boatswife]

It was like "breaking news" on the TV. Really?

 

[DrLeftover]

I was? Cool.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

It's never easy to come out. A true role model of an athlete, hopefully his example provides some encouragement for those who still feel that they have to remain in the closet about their sexuality. Having the support of the President of the United States and the NBA Commissioner is pretty cool.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Good for him. He can enjoy being in the NBA and now he can enjoy more freedoms in his private life too. He can go out in public with his boyfriend (if he has one) and he wont have to play it off like he's just a regular platonic guy friend.

 

[DrLeftover]

From what I understand, he's a free agent and DC may not resign him.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

From what I understand, he's a free agent and DC may not resign him.

because he's gay?

 

[Fatal Dawn]

There are other big men who are more athletic and probably younger too which will place him on the chopping block. Being openly gay, he probably won't end up on a small market team if DC doesn't keep him.

Here's the article from CSN: http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wizards-future-doesnt-include-jason-collins