Former NBA player Jason Collins said in
a recent interview that he's a little surprised no NBA players have
come out gay since his retirement.
Collins, who played 13 seasons in the
National Basketball Association (NBA), came out gay following the
conclusion of the 2012-2013 NBA season. The following year, he
signed with the Brooklyn Nets to become the first openly gay athlete
to play in any of the four major North American professional sports
leagues.
Speaking with Reuters, the 40-year-old
Collins said that he knows of NBA players who are closeted.
“So I am a little surprised that …
since I've retired, that I haven't seen any other NBA players come
out publicly,” Collins said.
“I do know that they exist, that they
are there. But some people just, for whatever reason, choose to live
their life in private and that's something that I understand.”
“And I try to tell those players that
you can look at my example, or you can look at Robbie Rogers in Major
League Soccer; after coming out and playing, he was able to win a
championship with his team. If you are a good teammate, they will
support you and accept you for who you are … but it's up to each
individual person. I don't tell someone what they should and
shouldn't do.”
“In the meantime, it's incumbent on
all of us to continue to create an environment of inclusion and
acceptance,” he
added.