NBA Center Jason Collins Announces He's Gay

Jason Collins, a center who played for the Washington Wizards last season and is now a free agent, today became the first openly gay male player in a major pro sport, SI reports:

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm 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...

 

...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. (more here & here)