be prouder of him. one of the extraordinary measures of progress that we ve seen in this country has been the recognition that the lbgt community deserves full equality. that was president obama today on jason collins who made history when he wrote this in sports illustrated. i am a 34-year-old nba center, i m black and i m gay. jason collins is the first openly gay athlete on a major professional sports team in this country s 142 years of professional team sports. today he discussed his phone call with the president. he was incredibly supportive and he was proud of me and said that this not only affected my life but others going forward. last season jason collins wore jersey number 98. collins writes in sports
more important than ever. will it finally be the time? thank you so much as always for watching. see you back here tomorrow night. ac 360 starts right now. good evening, everyone. nba hall of famer charles barkley, kenny smith and omeka okeafor join us for a history-making night in pro sports. pro center jason collins becoming a true pioneer, the first big league male athlete to say he s gay. also tonight, breaking news. female dna found on the boston bomb parts. female dna, as the fbi takes dna samples from the home of the dead suspect s widow. we begin with that ground-breaking day in u.s. sports. nba center jason collins today became the first active player in a major american team sport to come out publicly. the 34-year-old free agent made the announcement in an essay for sports illustrated. on his own makes the news more extraordinary.
he finished the season with the washington wizard announced his sexual orientation. saying i m a 34-year-old nba center, i m black, and i m gay. he said how the recent boston bombings put his life into perspective and tweeting appreciate. all of the support i have received is truly inspirational. i knew i was choosing the road less traveled, but i m not walking it alone. rachel collins joins me now. this is a big deal. this is major news, not just sports news. something people in athletics have been anding to happen. a lot of major u.s. pro sports leagues have come out with anti homophobia policies. anti defamation policies for player who s say defamatory things on the court will fined. big question who will it be? what sport will it be in? the fact that it was jason collins is the biggest surprise
journeyman pro athlete breaks new ground. but jason collins did it with these twelve words. i m a 34-year-old nba center, i m black, and i m gay. he s the first openly gay athlete in an american sport. and reaction coming out has been largely positive. more now from cnn s rachel nichols. reporter: for the past 12 seasons, jason collins has done the nba s dirty work. his seven foot, 255 pound frame protecting the basket night after night, with little or no recognition. but with his revelation in this week s sports illustrated that he s gay, that anonymity is over. in explaining his decision, collins said, quote, i ve endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. i was certain my world would fall apart if anyone knew. and yet when i acknowledged my sexuality, i felt whole for the first time. president obama called collins to say he was impressed with his courage. the first lady tweeted it was a huge step forward for the
the the new york times says it is a three way competition with relatively little known candidates in a race analysts say is difficult to poll because so few republicans are likely to vote. obviously massachusetts had a lot to contend with in recent days, politics may not be number one on people s minds, but tomorrow is primary day. polls open at 7:00, open until 8:00. we promise to let you know what happens. now it is time for the last word with lawrence o donnell. 12 years as an nba with a secret. with 12 words, jason collins made history. i am a 34-year-old nba center, i m black, and i m gay. big news now out of the nba. historic day in american sports. jason collins. 12 year nba veteran. the first american athlete in a major sport to come out. jason collins announced he is gay. we view it as another example of the progress that s been made.