
Parkston Rays begin amateur baseball title defense looking to build on 2025 breakthrough
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Charles Barkley speaks out against homophobia following the death of former NBA player Jason Collins. Barkley's comments emphasize the importance of acceptance and respect in sports and society.
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NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley honored former Nets center Jason Collins for his courage after the NBA’s first openly gay player died from brain cancer Tuesday.
The outspoken 16-year pro basketball veteran and longtime broadcaster also decried homophobia during Wednesday night’s “Inside the NBA” program.
Charles Barkley condemned homophobia and stressed the need for acceptance and respect in sports and society.
Jason Collins was a former NBA player and the first openly gay athlete in the league, making his death significant in discussions about LGBTQ+ representation in sports.
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Collins, who helped lead the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, a decade before the team moved to Brooklyn, came out as gay in 2013. The following year he became the first publicly gay male athlete to play professionally in a major U.S. sport.
“If another guy did it, it would still be a big deal — because we live in a homophobic society and that’s unfortunate,” Barkley declared on ESPN.
According to Sir Charles, Collins may have been the first admittedly gay player in the NBA, but it’s unlikely he’s the only homosexual pro athlete fans have cheered for over the years.
“Anybody who thinks we ain’t got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they’re just stupid,” the 63-year-old former hoops forward said. “There is such an atmosphere toward the gay community, and that’s what’s really unfortunate.”
The website Out Athletes reported in 2024 there were nearly 4,600 active players in major U.S. men’s sports and none of them were known to be openly gay. Meanwhile, dozens of female athletes in the WNBA are openly homosexual.
Barkley offered advice to gay athletes finding themselves at a crossroads.
“Do you,” he recommended. “Gay people have the right to do what they want to do. It’s nobody’s business at all.”