Jason Collins Announces Retirement From the NBA

Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, has announced his retirement from professional basketball.

"It has been 18 exhilarating months since I came out in Sports Illustrated as the first openly gay man in one of the four major professional team sports," writes Collins in a Sports Illustrated column. "And it has been nine months since I signed with the Nets and became the first openly gay male athlete to appear in a game in one of those leagues. It feels wonderful to have been part of these milestones for sports and for gay rights, and to have been embraced by the public, the coaches, the players, the league and history."

The 2014 OUT100 honoree came out in 2013, after concluding his final season with the Washington Wizards. He then returned to the NBA, joining up with the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Times called his signing "perhaps basketball's most celebrated and scrutinized 10-day contract." In April, Collins was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World."

Post-NBA, Collins will continue to be an advocate for healthy living and acceptance. President Obama appointed him to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, works to motivate Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and nutrition.

He'll also continue to be an active member of many charities and organizations including GLSEN, the HRC, The Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit, The Trevor Project and more.