After becoming the first professional Basketball player in the top four leagues to come out while playing, Jason Collins has been inundated with support from his sporting colleagues.
Collins, 34, was hailed as a pioneer by Martina Navratilova. One of basketball’s biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant, took to Twitter to express his support. ‘Proud of you,’ Bryant wrote.
Recently retired tennis star Andy Roddick went the extra mile and joined Athlete Ally, a group dedicated to eradicating homophobia in sports on the back of Jason’s statement. ‘Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere,’ Roddick said in a statement. ‘Jason Collins’ courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself.’