NBA's Jason Collins Comes Out: Will it Change Professional Sports?

"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center," former Atlanta Hawks player Jason Collins announced this week in the May 6, 2013, issue of Sports Illustrated. "I'm black. And I'm gay."

Collins goes on:

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

The revelation came just weeks after former NBA Coach Phil Jackson said in an interview that he'd "never run into" a gay pro basketball player.

This week, Hawks managers weighed in on Collins' announcement.

"We have great respect for Jason and his message today. Creating an environment where we support, respect, and accept our players' individual rights is very important to us," Hawks Managing Partner and NBA Governor Bruce Levenson said in a statement. "Jason represented everything that we look for as a member of the Atlanta Hawks and we are proud he wore our jersey."
 
Will Collins' announcement break down barriers in professional sports? Are more athletes likely to come out? Tell us what you think in the comments.