Time today unveiled its 11th annual “Time 100 Most Influential People in the World†issue, and Jason Collins is among those who will get a cover on the magazine.
The issue features an article penned by Collins’ long-time friend Chelsea Clinton, who writes that when “Jason called to talk about his forthcoming Sports Illustrated cover story, ‘The Gay Athlete,’ I realized at some point that I wasn’t surprised we were having the conversation we were. Not because I knew what we were going to talk about when I answered the phone. Rather, because it made eminent sense that it would be Jason becoming the first openly gay, still active pro athlete in a major U.S. sports league.”
Jason’s kindness and fierceness alike derive from that word too often bandied about and too rarely true: integrity. Jason has always maintained he’s first a basketball player. He is. But he’s also a leader and an inspiration. For Michael Sam, Derrick Gordon and others whose names we may never know. And also for those of us lucky enough to be fans — or to call him our friend.
Chelsea Clinton’s mother, Hillary Clinton, is also included in the “Time 100,” as an honoree. She also wrote the article on fellow honoree John Kerry.