Jason Collins Announces His Retirement From The NBA

Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins announced his retirement from the NBA after 15 years in the league.

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Jason Collins broke cultural ground by becoming the first openly gay player in American pro sports. Now he can continue his crusade off the court. After 15 years in the NBA, Collins is calling it a career and retiring as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He wrote up a full announcement that was posted on SI.com.

The full announcement will also be seen on the November 24th issue of Sports Illustrated. You can find some clips below.

"It has been 18 exhilarating months since I came out in Sports Illustrated as the first openly gay man in one of the four major professional team sports. And it has been nine months since I signed with the Nets and became the first openly gay male athlete to appear in a game in one of those leagues. It feels wonderful to have been part of these milestones for sports and for gay rights, and to have been embraced by the public, the coaches, the players, the league and history.On Wednesday at the Barclays Center, I plan to announce my retirement as an NBA player. The day will be especially meaningful for me because the Nets will be playing the Bucks, who are coached by Jason Kidd, my former teammate and my coach in Brooklyn. It was Jason who cheered my decision to come out by posting on Twitter: “Jason’s sexuality doesn’t change the fact that he is a great friend and was a great teammate.”"

We wish Jason Collins all the best in his future endeavors and hope that he continues to stand as a symbol for acceptance and equality in pro sports and beyond.

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