Boston celtics gay player

Jason Collins spent 13 years playing in the NBA. During his career on the court, he earned a reputation for being a team player who knew when to step out of the spotlight for the good of his team. Collins, 46, made history in when he became the first openly gay active player in any of the four major American men’s professional sports .

Where did you hone your skills? Jason Collins says NBA teams blackballed him because he came out as gay: "People get signed to teams that quite frankly I knew that I was better than" Nearly a year after coming out, Collins returned to the NBA after being ignored in the free agency market.

Former NBA center Jason Collins has officially tied the knot with longtime partner and acclaimed film producer Brunson Green, marking a joyful milestone for one of sports’ most trailblazing figures. On top of his storied basketball career, he was the first male player of any major American team sport to come out as gay.

NBA player Jason Collins, pictured above in when he played for the Celtics, came out in a Sports Illustrated story Monday. I tried to be the good son, tried to be the people pleaser. We would go play basketball at his house and then eventually the three of us joined the Granada Hills Recreation Park Basketball League, and that was the first time that we played the sport.

I really look forward to our conversation today. NEW YORK (AP) — NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out as gay. Jason publicly came out as gay in , the first active male player in any major American team sport to do so.

Jason Collins was the first male player of any major American pro team to come out as gay. Throughout Los Angeles. Earlier on Sunday, he signed a. What I eventually became was one of those people who was a glue guy, someone on the team who did whatever it took to make sure the team was going in the right direction.

In , Jason Colins made history. So we played every single sport growing up and we were first introduced to basketball through one of our neighbors up the street who had a hoop in his driveway. You both went to a very prestigious high school and a prestigious college. He realized that to be a truly great leader, he had to be the change he wanted to see on and off the court.

Your childhood growing up, when did you start playing basketball and who introduced you to the sport? By disclosing his orientation, Collins, then a year-old free agent, breached one of the last barriers in the locker room, an ultra-masculine preserve where being gay is often equated with.

Veteran basketball player Jason Collins has become the first openly gay athlete to play in a competitive game for a major US professional sports league. He played sparingly during the season for the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, averaging just points and rebounds per game, before becoming a free agent.

Jason Collins, traded to the Wizards after playing with the Celtics this season, came out as gay in a personal essay written for Sports Illustrated and published Monday. Photo by Elise Maris. That reputation stands strong even after he retired from the league.

Our parents were only expecting one child. Jason was well-known for his leadershiop on and off the court. But that reputation came at a price. But there were those family members that I had who said, Jason, do you need to come out publicly? Jason took a risk and did something that could have tarnished his reputation on the court, but by speaking out, he learned that what set him apart was actually one of his biggest strengths.

I stand before you, not as an expert, but as a concerned citizen. In , Collins. Where did you learn your skills? Jason sat down with host Jay Ruderman to talk about coming to terms with his sexuality, his coming out journey, and the roles allies can play.