The first active NBA player to come out

Joshua S. Kelly - Wikimedia Commons

Jason Collins stated in a Sports illustrated article that he is gay, which is the first time an active professional NBA player has admitted this. His choice to disclose this information can drastically change his future because players may act differently around him than in the past.

He could have revealed his sexuality in the middle of a season, but decided not to because it could cause problems during the season. Collins' decision to wait until the end of the season before announcing this shows his maturity. It shows he thinks about how his decision may affect the game and the players in it.

The public is taking the sports illustrated article very seriously and is showing their support for him. Many people are revering him because of his courage to admit that he is a homosexual. “I couldn’t be prouder,” President Barack Obama said.

Not everyone is showing support for Jason Collins. Some people think his decision is wrong. NFL player Leroy Butler was supposed to make a presentation about anti bullying in a church in Wisconsin. Butler posted a tweet congratulating Collins, and as a result, the church said Butler couldn’t make his presentation. The church was against him supporting Collins and in order to make his speech they asked him to remove the tweet and ask for forgiveness, which he declined.

Collins is similar to Jackie Robinson in the way he is changing the NBA. He is the first active gay NBA player which can draw lots of resentment. This is similar to when Jackie Robinson was one of the first African Americas to play in the Major Leagues. Collins may face resentment, but hopefully many people will accept him like Robinson.