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"Jason Collins has made NBA -- and LGBT -- history. The basketball star comes out as gay on the cover of the new issue of Sports Illustrated. &amp;quot;I&amp;apos;m a 34-year-old NBA center,&amp;quot; writes the 12-year veteran of the sport, who is currently a free agent. &amp;quot;I didn&amp;apos;t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I&amp;apos;m happy to start the conversation.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nCollins explains his decision to come out now. &amp;quot;I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I&amp;apos;m a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall,&amp;quot; says Collins, who has played as a center for the New Jersey Nets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.&amp;quot;\r\nThe athlete adds that years of secrecy took their toll. &amp;quot;It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I&amp;apos;ve endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew,&amp;quot; he writes. &amp;quot;And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. I still had the same sense of humor, I still had the same mannerisms and my friends still had my back.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nNone other than former President Bill Clinton immediately applauded Collins; Clinton&amp;apos;s daughter, Chelsea, was pals with Collins when they were both students at Stanford University.\r\n&amp;quot;I have known Jason Collins since he was Chelsea&amp;apos;s classmate and friend at Stanford. Jason&amp;apos;s announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community,&amp;quot; Clinton says in a statement. &amp;quot;It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities. For so many members of the LGBT community, these simple goals remain elusive. I hope that everyone, particularly Jason&amp;apos;s colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned.&amp;quot;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/jason-collins-nba-star-im-gay-2013294>