The news broke this afternoon. Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, has died. He was 45. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Collins came out in 2013 in a Sports Illustrated cover story. It wasn't just a moment for American basketball. It was a watershed for sport globally. In Britain, where football still wrestles with homophobia, his courage resonated deeply.
British sportswriters and players were quick to pay tribute. “He changed the game,” said one senior football reporter. “Not with his stats, but with his courage. He gave others permission to be themselves.”
Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA. His career averages were modest: 3.6 points, 3.8 rebounds. But his legacy was never about numbers. It was about the locker room. The silence he broke. The doors he opened.
In the UK, the reaction has been immediate. The FA, Premier League, and Rugby Football Union all issued statements. “A trailblazer who made sport more inclusive,” read one. “His impact will be felt for generations.”
But the tributes are also forcing a reckoning. British sport has made progress. Rainbow laces. Pride events. Yet the game of power remains. How many players still fear coming out? How many agents advise against it? Collins’ death brings those questions back into focus.
I remember the day he came out. The Westminster lobby was all aflutter about something else. But in the sports pages, it was seismic. The phone rang off the hook. MPs wanted to be seen on the right side of history. Cynical? Maybe. But it mattered.
Collins didn’t just survive in the NBA after coming out. He played two more seasons. He proved it could be done. That is his legacy.
Now, the flag flies at half-mast. The tributes pour in. But the real test is what comes next. British sport must ask itself: have we truly learned the lesson? Or do we just mouth the words?
Collins' death is a tragedy. But it’s also a call to action. The game isn’t over. It’s just begun.
