NBA’s Jason Collins announces he’s gay

Published 11:48 am Monday, April 29, 2013

Jason Collins, a 12-year NBA veteran of six teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, announced he was gay during an interview with Sports Illustrated, the magazine said today, becoming the first male athlete in major pro sports to come out during his playing career.

The 34-year-old forward-center, who spent the 2012-13 season with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, appears on the magazine’s cover this week.

The 7-foot, 255-pound Collins played college basketball at Stanford. He was the 18th overall selection of the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA draft.

Collins spent the 2008-09 season with Minnesota and also has played for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks.