Happy 37th birthday to Jason Collins!

When Jason Collins came out publicly as a gay man after the 2012–13 NBA season, it was huge news.

No active NBA player had ever taken this step.

Jason, who was a free agent, had to sit out a big chunk of the next season until he was hired by the Brooklyn Nets.

During his season with the Nets, Jason was able to prove that a player could be gay and interact on the court and in the locker room without the world coming to an end.

Last year, Jason retired from the NBA after 13 seasons and his place in the history books is secure.

Happy 37th birthday to this very big and very brave guy.