Jason Collins Stats: "I'm black. And I'm gay"
Jason Collins "The NBA center veteran" who played for the Washington Wizards made a surprise confession. He boldly proclaimed as a homosexual. In fact, talk about homosexuality in the sport is still fairly taboo.Jason Collins made the plea on Monday (29/4) to Sports Illustrated. Collins became the first active professional player in the United States who dare to express himself is gay.
"I'm a 34-years-old NBA center. I am black and I am gay. 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.
Collins is a seasoned player in the NBA. He first played in the NBA in 2001. A number of clubs have defended like the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Collins noted last as Washington Wizards players. Collins will be free agent in July 2013.
Collins statement is backed by many people such as NBA commissioner David Stern, the NBA Players Association to star players like Kobe Bryant. "We congratulate Jason for having the courage to 'lift his hand,' as he wrote the story, and start a conversation," a statement from the NBA Players Association.
I've played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates.
Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. 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.
Why am I coming out now? Well, I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I'm a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall. But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.
The first relative I came out to was my aunt Teri, a superior court judge in San Francisco. Her reaction surprised me. "I've known you were gay for years," she said. From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin. In her presence I ignored my censor button for the first time. She gave me support. The relief I felt was a sweet release. Imagine you're in the oven, baking. Some of us know and accept our sexuality right away and some need more time to cook. I should know -- I baked for 33 years.When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.
Related searches:
jarron collins, jason collins basketball, jason collins espn, jason collins facebook, jason collins stats, nba jason collins, twitter jason collins
