Metro Weekly

Gay NBA athlete Jason Collins one of TIME’s ‘100 Most Influential People’

“Jason has always maintained he’s first a basketball player. He is. But he’s also a leader and an inspiration. For Michael Sam, Derrick Gordon and others whose names we may never know.”

An excerpt from Jason Collin’s testimonial, written by Chelsea Clinton, as part of his inclusion in TIME Magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People of 2014.” Collins came out last April in an interview with Sports Illustrated, saying: “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” After signing a 10-day deal this year with the Brooklyn Nets — which was later extended to the end of the season — Collins became the first active, openly-gay athlete in any of the four major league professional sports.

Clinton met Collins during her first year at Stanford, writing: “Not surprisingly, the first thing I noticed was his height. The second thing I noticed was his kindness off the court — and his fierceness on it. Kindness to his friends, his family and fans. Fierceness in his drive to win.” Clinton’s mother, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was also included in TIME’s list.

Collins celebrated on Twitter:


Join our e-mail list.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!