And so it begins...
Jason Collins is the first and currently the only openly gay player in the NBA and in all male professional sports. No one should care, and yet its a big deal. Jason isn't a star, but he is widely respected as a defensive center. Collins came out today in an Sports Illustrated article. He says that until recently, no one knew including his twin brother, Jarron Collins, also an NBA Center who played from 2001-2011.
What does this mean professionally for Jason Collins? Nothing, I assume. He's currently a free agent and at 34 he's likely to be close to retirement. He played 6 games last year. He may not ever work in the NBA again, not because of homophobia, but because, he's a benchwarmer at best at this point of his career. What does it mean personally for Mr. Collins? He'll be able to live freely and openly, something basic to the human experience. Most importantly, he was able to make the decision, and he wasn't outed by someone else.
What does this mean for the league in general? The seal is broken. I don;t think that the response to Jason's coming out will be a flood of people coming out. I do think that it means that the next player can come out freely, especially if nothing negative results from this professionally for Mr. Collins. Collins isn't the only gay player in sports, just the only one who's out.
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