Gay Athletes In Basketball

In November of 2014, Jason Collins officially announced his retirement from the NBA. Collins was the first openly gay athlete in the four major American sports. When Collins came out in April of 2013, he attracted a media frenzy that is not often seen in basketball. Jason Collins had played in the NBA for more than 10 years and his announcement proved that there were gay athletes playing in professional sports. The only reason that we had never heard of them is that they did not feel comfortable coming out. If  Collins' situation is any indication, the league has seen a major change on that front. Collins was almost unanimously praised for his decision and any doubts about him being able to make a roster were crushed when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets. In fact, some argued that his coming out benefited him by bringing so much attention to the aging veteran big man.

In the aftermath of the Jason Collins announcement, Division 1 basketball has also seen its first openly gay player. Derrick Gordon, who started his career at Western Kentucky before transferring to UMass and now Seton Hall, has shed light on gay athletes in collegiate sports. Gordon reported that he experienced homophobia in his must recent transfer. Gordon's experience indicates that the college game may not be totally ready for openly gay players. Gordon felt that several coaches were not interested in him because of his sexuality, which seems like given the circumstances of college basketball. Not only are the players less mature, but so are the fans in the college atmosphere. This would attract more negative attention as opposed to the attention surrounding Collins in the NBA. Regardless, Gordon believes he has found a good fit in Seton Hall, and his success could influence the future of gay athletes in college basketball.