Jason Collins, the NBA veteran who made history last year by announcing that he is gay, said today that he is retiring from basketball.
Collins became the first ever openly gay male athlete in the U.S. in April 2013, when he penned an emotional and personal essay for Sports Illustrated. He wrote for the magazine again, announcing his future plans.
“It has been 18 exhilarating months since I came out in Sports Illustrated as the first openly gay man in one of the four major professional team sports,” Collins wrote in his piece for SI. “And it has been nine months since I signed with the Nets and became the first openly gay male athlete to appear in a game in one of those leagues. It feels wonderful to have been part of these milestones for sports and for gay rights, and to have been embraced by the public, the coaches, the players, the league and history.”
Collins also wrote a longer piece for The Players Tribune, where he made sure to thank all those who have supported him over the past 18 months.
“There are so many people I have to thank for helping me on my journey,” he wrote. “My family, friends, and fans empower me each and every day. My teammates, coaches, and the Brooklyn Nets organization gave me an opportunity. The entire NBA family, where the leadership of David Stern and Adam Silver created an environment that made me feel safe to step forward. My agent, Arn Tellem, who is like the cool uncle everyone wishes they had.”
Collins also thanked the fans in New York, who would often tell him that they supported him.
“To all the people who came out before me and helped clear the path for others to follow,” he continued. “And the many countless individuals who have fought and sacrificed for human and civil rights, period. Thank you.”
He will announce his retirement before the crowd at the Barclays Center, since the Brooklyn Nets will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks, whose coach is his former teammate Jason Kidd. He was also coached by Kidd last season with the Nets.
Collins, 35, entered the league in 2001 with the Nets, who were still in New Jersey at that point. He also spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.
Despite Collins coming out, there are still no other openly gay male athletes in American professional sports. Michael Sam came close in the NFL, but was cut from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com
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