In a new interview, former Seton Hall
guard Derrick Gordon says he was not invited to try out for a single
NBA team this summer because of his sexual orientation.
Gordon came out in April of 2014 in an
ESPN profile while attending the University of Massachusetts.
Earlier this year, he made history as
the first openly gay player to compete in the NCAA tournament.
In an interview with the Asbury
Park Press, Gordon said that the NBA did not give him a fair
shot because he's gay.
“I didn't get a fair shot to show
what I could do,” he said. “It was without a doubt because of
the fact that I'm gay. I was heartbroken.”
“Honestly, the NBA is just not ready
for an openly gay player right now. Maybe it's going to take some
time for it to get to that point. I'm going to support that person,
whoever that is. Right now, in 2016, I don't see it happening
anytime soon.”
Gordon said he's working on becoming a
firefighter in San Francisco.
“I'm excited,” he said. “I
always thought, if I don't play basketball, this is what I would love
to do.”