Basketball player Jason Collins dies at the age of 47. Playing in the NBA, he became the first openly gay American professional athlete in a major sport to come out publicly.
Farewell and thank you, Jason Collins. The former American basketball player, who spent 13 years as a professional in the prestigious NBA (National Basketball Association), died on Tuesday, May 12, at the age of 47, from a brain tumor. Although he was never a court superstar like Michael Jordan, he made history in sport by becoming, in 2013, the first openly gay American professional athlete in a major sport to publicly reveal his homosexuality while still active.
When the California native, who played as a center, notably for the New Jersey Nets (New York), the Atlanta Hawks, and the Boston Celtics, came out in Sports Illustrated, one of the largest American sports magazines, his most recent contract had just ended but not his sporting career. Until then, only a few retired athletes had dared to come out, far from the locker rooms and contracts. His gesture was therefore historic.
“I am Black. And I am gay.”
“I am an NBA center. I am Black. And I am gay”, he announced in the magazine, simply explaining that he wanted to live “authentically” after years of silence and fear, in a milieu largely dominated by masculine norms and ordinary homophobia. The NBA and several players showed their support for the player, and Barack Obama himself called to congratulate him. “What you did today will have a positive impact on people you may never meet in your life”, the former president told him, according to statements reported by ESPN.
But behind the image of the publicly celebrated pioneer, Jason Collins described an ambivalent reality. In several interviews, he spoke of the gap between the words of support and the reality. After his coming out, he remained without a contract for several months before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, one last time before his retirement. The player also confided in his disappointment at the small number of male athletes who had followed his example.
