Jason Collins loves a challenge and overcoming the media storm after coming out as the first gay athlete currently playing in the NBA is a big one. Collins breaks down NFL coach Tony Dungy’s offensive comments about not wanting to coach openly gay football player Michael Sam, and dangerous code words the athletic community uses to describe homosexuality.
“I think that personnel, coaches, owners — can look at my example, my journey in the NBA and see that after two weeks back, it was about basketball,” Collins says in reference to Dungy’s comments. “There were games, especially a month after I was signed that reporters didn’t even ask me any questions. It will always go back to the sport because there are only so many ways they can write the article. There are only so many ways they can keep talking about LGBT issues when you’re a professional athlete because you’re a professional athlete first.”
“I kinda laugh every time I hear a code word being used…. Any kind of minority group, and you hear people use different code words and you’re like, ‘I know what you’re really saying and I’m above that,'” Collins remarks.
View clips from the interview above.
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