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Charles Barkley addressed the impact of Jason Collins' death, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in sports. He emphasized that despite progress, society remains homophobic, making it still significant for athletes to come out.
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The Inside the NBA crew took a good five minutes to talk about the deaths of Brandon Clarke and Jason Collins, which were both announced on Wednesday.
Part of the focus was on Collins as a trailblazer, the NBA's first openly gay player. Charles Barkley spoke about how courageous he was at the time and how proud the Hall of Famer was to see how Collins handled himself.
When Kenny Smith spoke about the "big deal" it was to come out 13 years ago and it doesn't feel big now "because of people like him," Barkley had a lot to say in response.
"Kenny, in fairness now, if another guy did it, it would still be a big deal because we live in a homophobic society, and that's unfortunate," he said. "Anybody who think we ain't got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they're just stupid. There is such animosity toward the gay community, and that's what's really unfortunate."
Watch the entire segment that included Barkley's comments:
Clarke was 29 years old, with his death being investigated as a possible drug overdose.
Collins was 47 and died months after being diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Charles Barkley calls out homophobic society after Jason Collins death
Charles Barkley praised Jason Collins as a courageous trailblazer and highlighted the ongoing homophobia in society that makes coming out a significant act.
The Inside the NBA crew dedicated time to discuss the deaths, focusing on Jason Collins' legacy as the NBA's first openly gay player and the challenges still faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Barkley stated that there are many gay players across all sports and criticized the animosity towards the gay community, emphasizing the need for continued support and acceptance.
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