Jason Collins, the first openly gay active NBA player, announced he will retire from the NBA in a column in Sports Illustrated on Wednesday.
"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.", Collins says.
"On Wednesday at the Barclays Center, I plan to announce my retirement as an NBA player."