YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE NAME JASON COLLINS, BUT YOU SHOULD. HE DIED YESTERDAY, BUT HIS LIFE HAS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO, AFFECT ATHLETES AT ALL LEVELS. In 20-13, HE BECAME THE FIRST N-B-A PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY WHILE STILL PLAYING. ACTUALLY, HE WAS THE FIRST ACTIVE PLAYER OF *ANY* MAJOR LEAGUES IN NORTH AMERICA; THE N-F-L, THE N-H-L, AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
13 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, HE WROTE AN ESSAY FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED AND THE FIRST LINE READ: “”I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” HE SAID THE FIRST PERSON HE TOLD WAS AN AUNT, WHO SAID SHE’D KNOWN FOR YEARS. JASON WASN’T A SUPERSTAR. HE DIDN’T HAVE HIS OWN SHOE OR A DEAL WITH DOOR DASH. BUT HE HAD COURAGE.
HE PLAYED 13 YEARS IN “THE ASSOCIATION,” AND WAS ON MANY PLAYOFF TEAMS. HE PLAYED FOR A SEASON AFTER COMING OUT. THE WORLD KEPT ON SPINNING AND THE BALL KEPT ON BOUNCING. AFTER HIS CAREER, HE SERVED AS A GLOBAL AMBASSADOR FOR THE GAME. HE SAID HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE THE KID RAISING HIS HAND TO SAY HE’S DIFFERENT, BUT WAS GLAD TO START THE CONVERSATION. JASON COLLINS DIED FROM A BRAIN TUMOR. HE WAS ONLY 47-YEARS-OLD.
