Many of the most famous and most powerful people in the country have formed a protective shield around Jason Collins, the NBA free agent who announced he is gay in a Sports Illustrated cover story. He becomes the first player of any American major sport to announce he is a homosexual.
When you peel back the thick layers of Collins’ new found support you find, President Obama (who called him), first lady Michelle Obama (who said “we’ve got your back”), former President Clinton and a member of the Kennedy political dynasty, along with a throng of A-list celebrities — what is the opinion of the people who actually have to play with Collins?
Not every player is going to slap him on the back like Kobe Bryant did. It’s realistic that some players hold the opinion of ESPN senior writer Chris Broussard, who believes that Collins is in “open rebellion” against God and is therefore not a Christian. Even Golden State head coach Mark Jackson said as a Christian, he has his own beliefs but chooses to support Collins.
Perhaps former superstar and current Los Angeles Lakers role player, Antawn Jamison was the only one to keep it real — well, sort of. He told TMZ that not every player is going to be accepting of him and be willing to hang out in a locker room or shower with Collins. Jamison avoided giving his own opinion on the matter.
Movie director Spike Lee said this is just the beginning:
I Truly Believe There Are Players InNBA Who Already Knew About Jason Collins (Besides His Twin Brother) And Others Who Haven’t Come Out.
— Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) April 29, 2013
Take a look at the NBA players who tweeted about Jason Collins coming out:
