Jason Collins, seen here during a Nov. 15 game between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets, has revealed he's gay.
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
With two words -- "I'm gay" -- NBA player Jason Collins made sports history Monday, drawing surprise and praise from fans, ex-teammates and even a former president.
"Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community," said a statement from Bill Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea has been friends with Collins since their days at Stanford University.
"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."
On her Facebook page, Chelsea Clinton said she was proud of her pal "for having the strength and courage to become the first openly gay athlete in the NBA."
Collins, 34, is now the first openly gay male athlete from a leading American professional team sport. He came out in the pages of Sports Illustrated in a first-person essay.
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," he wrote.
The journeyman free agent, who most recently played for the Washington Wizards, said he started thinking about revealing his sexual orientation in 2011 but didn't decide to do it until the Boston Marathon bombing.
"Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?" he wrote.
Collins said he plans to march in Boston's Gay Pride Parade on June 8, alongside a straight friend, Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy.
"For as long as I've known Jason Collins he has been defined by three things: his passion for the sport he loves, his unwavering integrity, and the biggest heart you will ever find," said the congressman, Collins' college roommate.
"Without question or hesitation, he gives everything he's got to those of us lucky enough to be in his life. I'm proud to stand with him today and proud to call him a friend."
Collins has played 12 seasons in the NBA, the first seven with the New Jersey Nets. He has played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics before joining the Wizards this season.
His declaration reverberated across social media and the sporting world, though it remains to be seen what effect it will have on the world of professional athletics.
"As Adam Silver and I said to Jason, we have known the Collins family since Jason and Jarron joined the NBA in 2001 and they have been exemplary members of the NBA family," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
"Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue."
In recent years, and especially over the past few months, professional athletes and league officials have paved the way for an active athlete to come out.
Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts came out in a newspaper article two years ago. NFL linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo said in April he knew of several players who were gay. NFL punter Chris Kluwe signed on to a Supreme Court brief supporting gay marriage.
And Roger Goodell, the powerful commissioner of the NFL, said last week that harassment against a gay player would be unacceptable.
Collins' most recent team said said he has been a leader on and off the court throughout his career.
"We are extremely proud of Jason and support his decision to live his life proudly and openly," Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld.
NBC News' Erin McClam contributed to this report
