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With three words, Jason Collins changed everything.
Collins, who died Tuesday at 47 after battling Stage 4 glioblastoma, made history 13 years ago when he penned a piece in Sports Illustrated in which he came out as gay.
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“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” Collins wrote in the May 6, 2013 issue of the magazine. With that, he became the first openly gay player in the league.
Jason Collins takes a free throw shot during a game against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 27, 2014. NBAE via Getty ImagesJason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2014 in New York City. Getty Images
Collins came out not long after soccer player Robbie Rogers and WNBA star Britney Griner — who had just been selected No. 1 overall in the draft — came out.
Six years earlier, former NBA player John Amaechi had come out four years after his career ended.
Collins, at that point in his career, had just finished a season with the Wizards, said he was a free agent “literally and figuratively.”
In his essay, Collins, who played one more NBA season for the Nets after his historic news, said he never sought to make history and that his journey in “self-discovery” came over a long journey.
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“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. 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.
Jason Collins stands on a float during the NYC Pride March on June 25, 2017. NBAE via Getty Images
A moment of silence was held for Collins prior to a playoff game between the Timberwolves and the Spurs in San Antonio, on May 12, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jason-collins-made-nba-sports-012159121.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-13 01:21:00
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