Jason Collins made NBA and sports history in coming out

With three words, Jason Collins changed everything.

Collins, who died Tuesday at 47 after battling Stage 4 glioblastoma, made history 13 years ago when he penned a piece in Sports Illustrated in which he came out as gay.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” Collins wrote in the May 6, 2013 issue of the magazine. With that, he became the first openly gay player in the league.

Collins came out not long after soccer player Robbie Rogers and WNBA star Britney Griner — who had just been selected No. 1 overall in the draft — came out. Six years earlier, former NBA player John Amaechi had come out four years after his career ended.

Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2014 in New York City. Getty Images

Collins, at that point in his career, had just finished a season with the Wizards, said he was a free agent “literally and figuratively.”

In his essay, Collins, who played one more NBA season for the Nets after his historic news, said he never sought to make history and that his journey in “self-discovery” came over a long journey.

“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.

“My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.”

Then-commissioner David Stern commended Collins for his candor and leadership shortly after he penned the essay in SI.

“As Adam Silver and I said to Jason, we have known the Collins family since Jason and [his twin brother] Jarron joined the NBA in 2001 and they have been exemplary members of the NBA family,” Stern said. “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.”

Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets boxes out during a game against the Denver Nuggets on February 27, 2014 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NBAE via Getty Images

In the wake of his statement, Collins, according to the New York Times, said he received a phone call of support from Tim Hardaway, who had previously said he did not like gay people and would not have wanted to be on Amaechi’s team. He also received praise from others, including then-Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

In 2021, when Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out, Collins, drawing on his on experience, said the NFLer would be impacting more people than he knew.

“He’s helping people across the board, of all ages,” Collins told the Los Angeles Times.

On Tuesday, commissioner Adam Silver commended Collins for his efforts both on and off the court.

“Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” Silver said in a statement. “He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

Collins played 13 years in the NBA, eight of which were with the Nets.