It's the biggest story in sports. Here's how it appeared on ESPN.com "In a groundbreaking revelation that began to reverberate around the NBA, ------- ------ has become the first professional basketball player to openly identify himself as gay." Now, you may think ESPN was writing about Jason Collins, but that quote was from a 2007 story, and the player was John Amaechi, who had been retired from the NBA for three seasons. "When I came out, it felt like I was getting out of prison" said Amaechi on February 7, 2007.
Yesterday, more than six years after Amaechi's declaration, Jason Collins, a free agent back up center, became the first "active" NBA player to come out of the closet. He joins the likes of former NFL player Dave Kopay (1975), tennis star Martina Navratilova (1981) and Australian rugby standout Ian Roberts (1995). All three were trail blazers, having taken the first few steps in educating society, breaking down barriers and releasing their inner demons. "Coming out of the closet" is the mixed metaphor that refers to self-announcement of sexual orientation after previously denying it or keeping it secret. The "closet" part refers to one's "skeletons in the closet" or keeping a shameful secret.
What Jason Collins did yesterday was courageous, but it was also somewhat calculated. He dropped the hint, via Sports Illustrated a while back. The magazine reported that a "well known" NBA player would soon announce that he was coming out. Obviously, Collins had made an arrangement with SI that he would make his announcement AFTER the regular season, so as not to be a distraction to his team and his teammates.
It seems pretty clear that Collins, a graduate of Stanford University is no dummy. At the age of 34, he knows he doesn't have a lot of NBA time left. He certainly took a risk in making this declaration and it'll be interesting to see how many, if any, NBA teams will show interest come next season. Up until this point, he was a career back up center, a useful player on a lot of teams. Now, however, he's a GAY back up center, which doesn't make him worse, just different. If he makes an NBA team next year, it should be because of his ability, not his sexual orientation. I expect a few teams will show interest, perhaps because of the good publicity Collins will generate. San Francisco (the Golden State Warriors) and Portland (Trail Blazers) would be two great places for Collins to play next year. Liberal thinking, progressive cities with a welcoming attitude. Miami? Dallas? Houston? Maybe not the best choices.
When Collins made his announcement, questions immediately popped up. Did he ruin his chances of playing in the NBA or playing professionally in other parts of the world? Did he hinder his opportunity to work in another basketball-related capacity? If NBA teams don't show interest, does that mean they're homophobic? Regardless, Collins took a big step in what has been a long journey for gays, and gay athletes in particular. Perhaps the next step will see a higher profile athlete come out. Maybe a guy who's a starter in a pro league. And after that happens, perhaps a superstar player announces that he is gay. And pretty soon, god willing, it becomes a non-issue. I wonder how many athletes out there really want to tell the truth, but have been unable or unwilling to. Let's hope this announcement by Jason Collins helps them to break down the barriers, kick the closet door open and proudly announce their sexual preference without fear of reprisal. When that day finally comes, our society will have finally evolved to the point where it should have been years ago.
