NBA Player Jason Collins Admits He is Gay

It all started when the 34-year old NBA center openly declared himself as a gay athlete in an expose in Sports Illustrated. Years before, there was another player who also admitted his true sexuality in the field of basketball but he is already retired. His announcement makes Jason Collins the first and only active male athlete in a major sporting event to admit to his homosexuality.

According to Jason in one of his interviews, he tried to have relationships with women in the past in order to hide his true inclinations, but it still could not be helped, he said. He also admitted that the recent bombings in Boston made him realize that life is too short to live a lie. Another turning point that made him want to come out is after seeing his old roommate in Stanford University participating in a gay parade.

They got Jason’s back

One of the first people to give his full support to what Collins and his admission to being gay is the President Barack Obama himself. According to reliable sources, the White House said that Mr. Obama who fully supported gay marriage in 2012 found the time to personally call Collins in order to express his support and admiration to the basketball player. Collins’ fellow NBA athlete Kobe Bryant also gave his warm and undivided support to his fellow athlete.

From 34 to 98

Jason Collins has made a mark in his career in the NBA. He has played for 11 seasons in the NBA and has been affiliated with over six teams in total. Along the course of his NBA career Collins is known to wear a number 34 jersey. His number was consistent until only last year when he decided to change it to 98.
Collins has also recently admitted to the truth behind the changing of the number on his jersey. According to him, this is to show support to one of the most brutal killings or anti-gay crime in the history of mankind in the year 1998.

Matthew Shepard

The number 98 signifies the year when Matthew Shepard, a student in the University of Wyoming was brutally killed because of his sexual orientation. Shepard was brutally tortured after being kidnapped. Reports also showed that the victim was tied on a fence and then lashed. Rescue parties were formed to find him, but he died five days after he had been retrieved.
According to Jason, before he admitted to the public his true sexuality he was actually leading a double life. He wore the number 34 for ten years and changing it to 98 in order to mark a new point in his life.

New life with new endorsements

Jason Collins was not among the most popular NBA players the world has ever seen. It can be said that only loyal Wizard followers are the ones who knew about Collins. Now that he has come out as a gay athlete, Collins received worldwide attention. It has been reported that Collins could expect a number of possible lucrative product endorsements.