NBA's Jason Colls says U.S. 'ready' for openly gay player - ESPN

Contents:

• JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY
• JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER, REFLECTS ON LEGACY, LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
• JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS
• HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
• JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
• NBA’S JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY
• NBA PLAYER JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY
• THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY
• JASON COLLS BE FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER
• JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY
• ‘THERE IS THAT FEAR’: JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER, ON WHY THERE HASN’T BEEN A SEND
• TOP 3 NBA PLAYERS WHO ARE GAY FEAT. JASON COLLS AND MORE
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY

JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY

On Febary 23, 2014, Brooklyn Nets center Jason Colls be the first openly gay athlete to play a game the Uned Stat’ four major profsnal leagu. The 35-year-old journeyman plays 10 srels mut, rerdg two rebounds and five fouls the Nets’ 108-102 victory over the Los Angel May 2013, Colls revealed he is gay a first-person say  Sports Illtrated. In 2021, Las Vegas Rairs fensive leman Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to announce he is gay.

After a 13-year reer the NBA, Jason Colls, the first openly gay profsnal basketball player, is retirg. Eighteen months ago Colls me out as gay through a first person article published Sports Illtrated.

“The ironic thg about the dread “D” word is that I had never felt more fortable playg basketball than I was as an openly gay man, ” he wrote. Colls’ retirement means there will be no openly gay player currently playg any of the four major U.

JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER, REFLECTS ON LEGACY, LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL

Addrsg the lack of openly gay players, Colls wrote that we are not “there” yet when to acceptg openly gay players major league sports. Sce Jim Buzski and I started Outsports 1999, we’d talked about an active gay player the Big Four — MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL — g out publicly. Colls has seen the effects of beg out the sport firsthand, talkg repeatedly about one of his former teammat who ed anti-gay slurs the locker room eventually beg a supporter.

JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS

In 10 years, Colls remas the only active NBA player to e out publicly (Bill Kennedy is an active gay NBA referee who is out; player John Amaechi me out after retirg). When Rogers me out MLS, Michael Sam me out the NFL and Colls me out, I was nvced this was the begng of a seri of gay and bi athlet who would e out publicly men’s pro sports. Sce those three gay pro athlet me out the urse of a year, only two active athlet big-time Amerin men’s pro sports have e out publicly while on a team: Coll Mart MLS and Carl Nassib the NFL.

When John Amaechi me out publicly 2007, he was ahead of his time, sharg that he’s gay and a former profsnal basketball player. Sce Colls showed the world you uld be a gay man profsnal basketball, there has been a trickle of gay athlet to follow, most recently former NBA player and current Atralian pro basketball player Isaac Humphri. Jason Colls says he's news servicApr 29, 2013, 11:46 AM ETNBA center Jason Colls on Monday announced that he's gay a story for Sports Illtrated, beg the first active player one of the four major Amerin profsnal team sports to announce that he is gay.

HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL

Last year, durg his re-electn mpaign, Print Barack Obama announced his support for gay after Colls disclosed his sexualy, Obama reached out by phone, exprsg his support and tellg Colls he was imprsed by his urage, the Whe Hoe Print Bill Clton, whose dghter Chelsea attend Stanford wh Colls, also appld Colls' announcement. "Jason's announcement today is an important moment for profsnal sports and the history of the LGBT [lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr] muny, " he said a statement. "He said the first relative he told he was gay was his nt Teri, who is a superr urt judge San Francis.

"Colls said he realized he need to make his sexual orientatn public when his former roommate at Stanford, Massachetts ngrsman Joe Kennedy, who is straight, marched Boston's Gay Pri Para last Boston Marathon bombgs earlier this month then rerced to him "that I shouldn't wa for the circumstanc of my g out to be perfect.

Colls says he quietly ma a statement for gay rights even while keepg his sexual orientatn a secret. 98 wh the Celtics and Wizards -- 1998 was the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay llege stunt Wyomg, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suici preventn anizatn, was found. "Sayg 'I'm gay' sets a new standard of honty, openns and teamwork that will posively affect athlet and fans at every level of sports.

JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY

Colls me out as gay soon after his 12th NBA season me to a close a self-penned Sports Illtrated lumn April 2013. The announcement ma him the first active out gay male athlete one of North Ameri’s Big Four sports leagu.

His number 98 jersey, worn to honor murred gay llege stunt Matthew Shepard, beme the league’s number one sellg jersey shortly after his signg. The NBA donated all proceeds of his jersey sal and ctned game-worn jerseys to the Gay, Lbian & Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN) and the Matthew Shepard Foundatn.

NBA’S JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY

When we get to the pot where a gay pro athlete is no longer forced to live fear that he’ll be shunned by teammat or outed by tabloids, when we get to the pot where he plays while his signifint other was the fay room, when we get to the pot where he’s not pelled to hi his te self and is able to live an thentic life, then g out won’t be such a big al. Jason Colls, who played wh the NBA’s Boston Celtics and Washgton Wizards this season, has disclosed that he is gay, makg him the first active openly gay male athlete the four major Amerin pro team sports. “Jason Colls has forever changed the face of sports, ” said the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights group fightg for gay rights.

Former NBA player Charl Barkley, now an analyst for “Insi the NBA” on TNT, told CNN on Monday night that active players shouldn’t be surprised that a teammate is gay. Jt a few weeks ago, the NHL announced a new program teachg tolerance and givg support to gay athlet. “If you’re openly livg unrepentant s, whatever may be, not jt homosexualy, adultery, fornitn, premaral sex between heterosexuals, whatever may be.

Amaechi told CNN he hop Colls will be a talyst for a wir acceptance of openly gay athlet, sayg he believ Colls is better equipped than anyone who me before him to handle the attentn that will e his way. The Women’s Natnal Basketball Associatn, the women’s pro league, has had s share of ton and openns as far as gays are ncerned. Image ptn, Jason Colls has been undated wh msag of supportUS basketball player Jason Colls has e out as gay, the first active male athlete a major Amerin profsnal team sport to do clared his sexualy an article for Sports Illtrated, announcg: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center.

NBA PLAYER JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY

"Print Barack Obama, NBA star Kobe Bryant and sportswear pany Nike were among those exprsg public NBA player John Amaechi me out 2007, but had already Monday, Mr Obama, who last year announced his support for gay marriage, lled Colls to tell him he was imprsed wh his urage and offer his support, the Whe Hoe said. 'Learship mantle'Former Print Bill Clton lled the move "an important moment for profsnal sports and the history of the LGBT muny" dghter, Chelsea, who knew Colls when they were both stunts at California's Stanford Universy, tweeted: "Very proud of my iend Jason Colls for havg the strength and urage to be the first openly gay player the NBA. "The reactn was not entirely welg: An analyst for sports broadster ESPN, Chris Brosard, said on Monday he did not believe that "you n live an openly homosexual liftyle" and be a Christian.

Symbolic shirt numberIn the Sports Illtrated article, Colls, who has most recently played for the Washgton Wizards and the Boston Celtics, said: "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playg a major Amerin team sport. " Colls said he cid he should go public after his former roommate at Stanford Universy, Congrsman Joe Kennedy, scn of the Kennedy polil dynasty, marched a Boston gay pri basketball player at Stanford, Colls peted the natnal llegiate champnship tournament, reachg the fourth round.

Colls explaed that 2012 he changed his uniform number to 98 - a number wh signifince for the gay muny the US - as a gture of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay stunt at the Universy of Wyomg, was btally killed what has been ced as one of the most notor anti-gay hate crim the US. When Jason Colls revealed he was gay seven years ago, was a historic announcement that seemgly shifted the nversatn about homophobia profsnal male team sports. There is not an active openly gay player the NBA or any of the other Amerin major male profsnal leagu: the NFL, MLB and NHL.

THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY

While Colls regniz there is still a lot of work to be done, he says ’s helpful to be able to pot to the lany of star openly gay profsnal athlet, om Megan Rapoe to Robbie Rodgers. Mayor Pete Buttigieg recently beme the first openly gay ndidate Amerin history to earn printial primary legat toward a major party’s nomatn procs. If an openly gay printial ndidate n thrive the rough world of polics — even garnerg support om some nservative Republins agast homophobic sults — then seems like only a matter of time before another NBA player out.

Jason CollsCareerComg OutJon AmaechiCareer Comg Out Isaac HumphriCareerComg OutAre There Closeted Gay NBA Players? One ESPN mentator, Chris Brosard, exprsed both his admiratn for Colls’ bravery and his belief that Colls uld not be both gay and christian. Tennis great Marta Navratilova, who had somewhat unbelievably e out 1981, praised Colls and exprsed her hope that this would help end homophobia team sports and lead to more players g out.

Colls beme the first, and still only, active gay NBA player when he signed wh the Broolyn Nets Febary of 2014. John Amaechi was the first gay NBA player to e out, but he did so after he had retired om the league.

JASON COLLS BE FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER

The difference reactn between Ameachi’s and Colls’ statements is a sign of the growth acceptance of gay people between 2007 and 2013.

Barkley said he was sure he had played both wh and agast gay players and should not be viewed as a big al. Lebron Jam said “Wh teammat you have to be tstworthy, and if you’re gay and you’re not admtg that you are, then you are not tstworthy”. The strongt reactn me om Tim Hardaway who said: “Well, you know, I hate gay people, so I let be known.

He actually went to unselg and beme the 1st person to sign his name to a 2013 petn to legalize gay marriage Florida. Humprhi is the only male player a top tier league the world who is currently playg and openly gay.

JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY

While the percentage of people who are gay vari wh different measur, there is no reputable measure sayg the number is zero.

Jason Colls me out 2013 and went on to play the next season beg the first and only openly gay active player NBA history.

‘THERE IS THAT FEAR’: JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER, ON WHY THERE HASN’T BEEN A SEND

Jason Colls: Support 'credible' news servicApr 30, 2013, 08:20 AM ETJason Colls said he has gotten "credible" support sce g out as the first openly gay player one of the four major U. "I thk, I know, my personal life, I'm ready, and I thk the untry is ready for supportg an openly gay basketball player, " Colls told ABC's Gee aired the terview two segments, wh Stephanopoulos askg Colls the send portn whether he hoped that other players would follow his example. "Speakg at a news nference Tuday, Obama said Colls showed the progrs the Uned Stat has ma regnizg that gays and lbians serve full equaly.

"Navratilova said Tuday an terview wh ESPN Rad's "Mike & Mike the Morng" that the fact Obama lled Colls to exprs his support shows how far the fight for gay equaly has e. ' "While Colls thks that the world is ready for an openly gay player basketball, former Steelers receiver and NBC analyst H Ward said Tuday that he don't thk the NFL is ready. And Jeff Green lled him an "awome" teammate who set good Pierce adds that Colls told him Monday morng he was gay.

Coach Doc Rivers says Colls rmed him a few days ago, but learng the news was a "nonfactor" for by Stephanopoulos what his story uld mean to youth who play basketball and are worried about their futur bee they are gay, Colls offered a simple piece of advice. In the SI piece, Colls said that the first relative he me out to was his nt, Teri Jackson, a San Francis Superr Court judge, who he said already knew he was gay -- "so, I gus, she's good at readg people, " Colls told ABC.

TOP 3 NBA PLAYERS WHO ARE GAY FEAT. JASON COLLS AND MORE

Colls beme the first openly gay player to play one of the four major Amerin pro sports leagu after signg a tone ntract wh the Brooklyn Nets on sued up, went through warmups then entered the game the send quarter on Sunday night when the Nets faced the Lakers his hometown of Los Angel. "Colls revealed he is gay a bombshell terview wh Sports Illtrated at the end of last season, his 12th the league.

Prokhorov, who ran agast Vladimir Put the 2012 Rsian printial electns, has been an outspoken opponent of Rsia's "gay propaganda laws, " llg them "a breach of the ternatnal nventns of human rights and eedoms we have signed" and "an gement on personal eedom.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

12:20Download AudCopy the below to embed the WBUR d player on your seRumeIn 2013, Jason Colls beme the first openly gay male athlete to play one of the U.

Jason Colls, veteran the NBA, announced that he is gay, makg him the first active male basketball player, or jt male player the four pro sports, to announce that he is gay.

98 to acknowledge the year 1998, when a gay llege stunt named Matthew Shepard was murred Laramie, Wyomg.

JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY

'"More than four years after Jason Colls ma his announcement, he’s still the only out gay male athlete to play a game one of this untry’s four major sports. As a 6-foot-7, 275-pound fensive end for the Las Vegas Rairs, Carl Nassib has ma a reer of impactg never more than announced Monday that he’s gay, beg the first active NFL player to do brgs a sense of both relief and rponsibily, said retired NBA center Jason Colls, who publicly me out as gay at the ncln of the 2012-13 season.

”Michael Sam, a former Universy of Missouri fensive end, was the first openly gay football player selected the NFL draft, taken the seventh round by the St.