Jason Collins First Openly Gay NBA Player Won't Be In Hall of Fame, Receives Hate from Religious Groups and Others

Jason Collins is the first openly gay NBA player. Collins has acted as a pioneer in the professional sports world and paved the way for many athletes so that they do not have to feel ashamed about their sexual orientation. He has received support from many people, including league officials, fans and even former President Clinton. However, Collins has had his fair share of encounters with negativity. Ever since he came out, Collins has had to deal with a lot of good old-fashioned religious hate. Most recently, it looks like the attacks are coming from basketball analyst, Kenny Smith.

First off, it is important to reiterate that Collins' bravery and honesty has earned him a lot of backing. Collins being the first openly gay NBA player has been a huge milestone in regards to equal rights and the sport of basketball. Predictably, though, things have not been easy.

Earlier this year, Fox Sports reported on how certain religious followers took some of the glow away from this shining moment in history:

"'His admission of 'I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.' unleashed a torrent of Biblically-annotated vile so ugly, so hateful from the good 'Christians' of the Internet that I have to believe Jesus was somewhere saying 'Keep my name out of your mouth.' [People] see Christians preaching love and forgiveness for themselves and their sins while dishing out hatred and ugliness for those who sin differently..."

Currently, Collins has been battling one of his bashers on a very important issue, his desired spot in the Hall of Fame. Kenny Smith, a basketball analyst for Inside The NBA has challenged his abilities as a player. According to TMZ, Smith Says:

"Don't expect to see Jason Collins in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame unless he buys a ticket like everyone else...Your play gets you in [the Hall of Fame], not your sexual preference. He's not going to get his picture in the Hall of Fame even though Collins played thirteen pretty decent seasons in the league."

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