you're a nice lady. >>> nba player jason collins >>> nba player jason collins will go down in history as the first man in a major league sport to admit he is gay while actively playing. >> abc's amy robach reporting on the revelation and another former pro athlete watching it very closely. >> reporter: the nba veteran shocked the sports world by announcing he's gay. a bombshell first revealed in the pages of "sports illustrated" and in an exclusive interview with abc's george stephanopoulos for "good morning america." >> i never set out to be the first. and it's -- obviously you are sort of waiting around for somebody else to, you know, raise their hand, and you know, i'm ready to raise my hand but, you know, you still look around like, okay, come on, guys. >> reporter: the revelation makes collins the first active athlete to come out in a testosterone charged world of professional sports. >> it's cool, obviously. >> reporter: robbie rogers knows what it's like to live in that world. >> it's this stereotype you are supposed to be this manly guy that -- making tackles, beating up on ot

one you never heard was jason collins. >> two part question. how do you think it is going to affect his future as a player? secondly, we saw all of stat part that not everybody has been supportive about this. >> very true. he is a fringe player. that's the problem. if he doesn't get signed by a team, well, jason collins didn't get signed because he is open leap gay. i don't think that is fair. a guy at this stage of his career. a little up in years. i know he is in great shape. working out. running through the hills of california. still a guy right now that is going to have to try to find his spot. still there is guys in the league playing until they're 40. the new york knicks have a couple. jason collins can play in the league. i think he will. there has been backlash already. espn basketball analyst, reporter, chris broussard made some very interesting comments today. >> if you are openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexual couples, that is walking i

collins is with the washington wizards. >> collins is the first active professional athlete in any of the four major sports to make that announcement while still a player z collins says i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black and i'm gay. >>> that's right. he came out as black and gay. even more shocking. he came out as a player for the washington wizards. you have to wonder how his parents took it. >>> leave it to colbert to put that kind of spin on it. a major shakeup in the sports world. some say was a long-time coming. good morning. i'm brian shactman. this is "way too early." thanks for being up with us tuesday, april 30g9. >>> we have a lot to cover including not so friendly fire within the republican party. he reveals details of a closed door conversation. they are not supposed to talk about it. we will show you what he had to say. don't adjust your tv screen. this isn't a club from public access from the '80s. last night was the first and only south carolina debate between mark sanford and elizabeth colbert bush. a bit of a colbert open. >>> first, our top story here live at 5

>>> and jason collins coming out as gay in the nba. there's a lot of dialogue about that this morning. welcome back to "early start." >> i'm john berman, live in boston today. it is tuesday, april 30th. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. we begin with a dramatic new development in the boston marathon bombing investigation. female dna has been found on one of the explosive devices. now, federal investigators are closely monitoring tamerlan tsaranev's widow. you see her leaving her parents' home in rhode island. they're trying to figure out what katherine russell did in the days before and after the attack. "the boston herald" reports that the state medical examiner has determined tamerlan's cause of death. they are not releasing the details because russell has not claimed her husband's body. as for dzhokhar tsaranev, another lawyer has been added to his defense team. judy clark, whose past clients include susan smith. and she represented the unabomber, ted kaczynski. all these clients avoided the death penalty, getting life sentences, instead

president obama called jason collins last night. players are giving him support like steve nash i want to read something that nash tweeted he said the time has come, maximum respect. of course the player with the los angeles lakers, that's yesterday via twitter and twain wade said via tweet jason collins showed a lot of courage today and i respect him for taking a stand and choosing to live his truth. here's the issue though, we would be naive to think there isn't homophobia in some of those locker rooms and on some of those basketball courts so does this change the game? >> i think this changes the game on a multiple front. i think even the biggest game changer is that you have players like kobe bryant, paul pierce, and dwyane wades who are leaders in the locker room making comments like this, and a team will follow rank. you know, so if kobe bryant speaks for, the rest listens. >> does this help or hurt his chances of getting another job? >> he can play so i don't think that it hurts him at all. he's 34 years old. he's in great sh

collins decided to go public during an interview at his home last week. in the article he says if i had my way someone else would have already done this. nobody has which is why i am raising my hand. collins said nobody forced him to come out now but did say the bombing helped solidify his decision because it reminded him that things could change in an instant so he wanted to live his life openly and honestly. david stern reacted by saying we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this important issue. rick welsh revealed he was gay two years ago. he was the first nba executive to do that and he says he has a good idea of what collins is going through and he says the question has turned to what is next. >> i think there is a lot of speculation that there could be other players, some in other sports that might be ready to take this step. so i think we will wait and see. >> reporter: nike is one of collins' sponsors. and the company supports his decision to go public by saying nike believes in a level playing field whether an athlete's sexual ori

. >> jackson worked with collins revealing he is gay two years ago. he's the first nba executive to do that and has a pretty good idea what colins is going through right now. >> it takes courage to do what he did today and i'm happy for him. he's going to be able to be the complete jason collins every day for the rest of his life. >> reporter: nike is one of collins' sponsors and they are supporting his decision to go public by saying, "nike believes in a level playing field where an athlete's sexual orientation is not a consideration. cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. >>ç cheryl, thank you. the 34-year-old collins played four years at stanford helping to lead the team to the final four. he's played for six nba teams, most recently for the washington wi sgrch wizards a is currently a free al agent. >> the person he confided in was his aunt and she's a judge. she's a bit surprised by the crush of media attention in response to her nephew's announcement. jackson's office is filled with pictures of jason and his twin brother jaren. she said collins came

they sat down for an exclusive interview shortly after collins came out. >> now, reaction to collins' statements have been coming through the night and devin dwyer has more. >> reporter: seven foot, 255-pound nba center who made it to the playoffs nine times. now he shattered one of the final barriers telling "sports illustrated" "i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black and i'm gay." in an exclusive interview with "good morning america's" george stephanopoulos, collins says it's mind boggling that he's the first active player in pro team sports to come out as gay. >> it was sort of waiting around for somebody else to raise their hand and, you know, i'm ready to raise my hand but, you know, you still look around like, okay, come on, guys. >> reporter: reaction from around the nba has been mostly supportive. kobe bryant tweeted "he's proud of collins. don't suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others". >> always been a great guy. always been a great teammate. >> he's a good guy and i'm certainly praying for him. >> reporter: but not everyone in pro sports embraced collins'

collins is with the washington wizards. >> collins is the first active professional athlete in any of the four major sports to make that announcement while still a player z collins says i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black and i'm gay. >>> that's right. he came out as black and gay. even more shocking. he came out as a player for the washington wizards.

has been one of support for jason collins. to the nba, people are definitely reacting tonight. >> i'm a much better person for knowing jason collins. >> he has nothing but praise for his former teammates. >> what i tried to convey to jason today is how much i love him, how much i respect him and how much i love his family. this is a first class individual. >> the reaction from the nba tonight has been positive. we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue. >> i'm elated that jason came out. edward says although collins will be very well accepted, there will be some who will not like his decision to come out. edwards says collins is going to have to deal with that. what do i think about death threats and the nasty letters that he's inevident eblely going to get. >> so it takes a man of great courage to do what he did today. i'm happy for him. he's going to be able to be the complete jason collins, every day, for the rest of his life. >> now, the support for jason collins goes beyond the sports

. >> collins. all those stereo type of gay men. collins utterly demolishes them. he's a 7 foot, 2 55 pound trash talking bruiser who played on 6 teams over 12 years in the nba making it to the play offs 9 times. >> going out there and being physical. >> he made history in "sports illustrated"with the 12 words. i'm a 34-year-old nba center. i'm black. and i'm gay. >> jackie robinson what he was to interest gracious and king to women rights and now jason collins for gay rights. i think this is not just big sports news. this is big news in our country. >> collins hiding his sexuality for years. quote when i was younger i dated women. i even gotten gamed. i thought i had to live a certain wait a minute i kept telling myself the sky was red but always knew it was blue. one small secret gesture of solidarity with the lgbt community wearing unusually high number 98. reference to another water shed moment in 1998. the year a young gay man named matthew shephard was kidnapped and murdered in wyoming. collins says he knew he had to come out when after his college roommate m

they sat down for an exclusive interview shortly after collins came out. >> now, reaction to collins' statements has been coming through the night. abc's devin dwyer has more on this. devin? >> reporter: jason collins is a powerhouse on the court. a seven foot, 255-pound nba center who's made it to the playoffs nine times. now, he's shattered one of the final barriers telling "sports illustrated," "i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black and i'm gay." in an exclusive interview with "good morning america's" george stephanopoulos, collins says it's mind boggling that he's the first active player in pro team sports to come out as gay. >> i was sort of waiting around for somebody else to raise their hand and, you know, i'm ready to raise my hand, but, you know, you still look around like, okay, come on, guys. >> reporter: reaction from around the nba has been mostly supportive. lakers' star kobe bryant tweeted he's proud of collins. "don't suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others." >> he's always been a great guy. he's always been a great teammate. >> he's a good guy and i

what did collins risk by coming out? he's a well liked veteran nba player with if he's been smart a ton of money and the trappings of celebrity. when asked to wonder what a rookie would be risking, endorsement deals, salary, playing time, friends, fans, if he were to come out at the start of his rear? even riskier come believe would be a big star with many endorsements on the line joining collins. let me come back to collins in a minute. another celebrity who's earning the hero moniker is ben affleck. who recently announced he'd live on $1.50 a day to bring attention to the plight of poverty. while a well-intentioned adventure, i'm sure, again, one must question the stakes. while it would certainly be difficult for a man accustomed to the finer things in life to subsist on a paltry daily announce, unlike everyone else in poverty, ben has the comfort of knowing when his week is done he can return to his lavish lifestyle and freedom of not having to worry if he can afford diapers for his newborn son. poverty isn't just a f

collins promised the video would prove his innocence. he claims the officer harassed him and sprayed him with mace. >> i can watch the video and we can probably try to do this friday or something like that. >> okay. whenever you want. >> so i will watch the video and try to get you back in here this week. >> okay. thank you. >> he did request a video. we can look and see. only thing we're going to see is the officer's reaction because it's so dark on the range those times of the morning that you won't see the spit and you wouldn't see the spit even if it was daytime probably. so we'll see. look at it and take a look at it. >> they're not trying to hear you carry on about a situation where there's an argument or something like that. they want to know, did you spit? that's all they want to know. >> you're saying? >> no, i didn't spit. it's obvious on the tape. >> less than a week later, collins was back in the disciplinary office for the completion of his hearing. >> okay. you asked me to watch the video. this is what i saw on the video. t

and collins says the bounty is going to the bears. after the break, i'll try to save you more money. >>> coming up -- wonder drugs? all this week, cramer's checking up on the strongest trends in medical science, and tonight he's focusing in on companies with powerful treatments that could help curb cancer. is it time to join the fight? >>> for over a glorious week now, i've been taking you on a magical mystery tour of the next generation of drug companies, the ones that represent the future of the pharmaceutical industry. why? because i can remember a time when big pharma, the stocks that everybody thinks of now as fixed income vehicles was one of the hottest sectors in the market because it had such great growth. oh, that was during the '90s, the golden age of old-fashioned pharma. while that era is definitely over, there's plenty of lessons to be learned from it. and the most important lesson, the reason i've been highlighting these biotech stocks is that when drug companies are innovating, when they've got deep pipelines of truly n

his name is jason collins. he's a veteran in the nba. his declaration was met with widespread praise from the sports world and beyond including a phone call from the president of the united states pledging his support. our report tonight from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: he was drafted as an inside scoring force. while jason collins is not a star or a starter anymore, the 12-year pro is now something no active player in a major american team sport has ever been -- openly gay. >> there have been tens of thousands of people before him. he is the first one to come out while playing and say, "i'm gay." >> reporter: collins wrote in the current sports illustrated, "i want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. i want to take a stand and say, me, too." the reaction, hugely positive. from kobe bryant, proud of jason. nba commissioner david stern saluted his leadership mantle on this very important issue. former first daughter, chelsea clinton, collins's classmate at stanford cheered him for having the strength and courage to become the

kobe bryant and kevin durant also offered their support today for jason collins. >> jason collins' announcement may break down one of the oldest barriers. ktvu's rob roth is live where some say by coming out of the closet he is offering a life line to young gay athletes. >> reporter: men reare calling -- many are calling jason collins courageous. >> reporter: the first family member jason collins told he was gay was his aunt who is a san francisco superior court judge. >> i always suspected and we were just talking and he acknowledged it and it was not earth shaking. >> reporter: many people say it is a big deal for young gays and lesbians people. it can help other at the others be-- others become more comfortable with who they are. >> it is important for there to be that feeling like it is okayb for me to be out and gay -- okay for me to be out and gay. >> reporter: she works with gays and lesbians youth. she says a third say they attempted suicide but jason collins can become a role model. >> you can be whoever you want to be and be gay. >> reporter: jason collins' coming out receives applaus

and collins says the bounty is going to the bears. after the break, i'll try to save you more money. >>> coming up -- wonder drugs? all this week, cramer's checking up on the strongest trends in medical science. and tonight he's focusing in on companies with powerful treatments that could help curb cancer. is it time to join the fight? i know what you're thinking... transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles. or the 900 million health insurance claims we process. so, it's no surprise to you that companies depend on today's xerox for services that simplify how work gets done. which is...pretty much what we've always stood for. with xerox, you're ready for real business. only hertz gives you a carfirmation. hey, this is challenger. i'll be waiting for you in stall 5. it confirms your reservation and the location your car is in, the moment you land. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the spef hertz.

. >>> professional basketball player jason collin collins is out of the closet tonight. he's the first player to tell the world is gay. jena is live tonight telling us how it is received. >> reporter: the printed edition is not shown until later this week. after more than a decade as an nba center p jason collin is now a worldwide attention. saying quote, i am a 34-year-olr , i am black and i am guy. collins is a stanford graduate. during the cardinals winning run to the final 4 back in 1988. collins said he dated women and got engaged. i have endured years of misery and gone enormous length of living a lies. yet, when i acknowled ty sexuality i felt whole for the first time. >> i always suspected and we are just talking and he just acknowledged it and it was not an earth shaking event. >> at stanford today current students say they're proud of his action >> great for him and great for his over all community. >> it is definiteling a step in the right direction fo athletes athletes comfortable in their own skin. >> i support him in his effort and courage. >> reporter: jus

he said he's proud of collins' decision. >> it's not enough to be neutral. at some point, as a person of great power and influence as an athlete, you either stand for equality or you don't. >> reporter: collins tweeted late monday night that the support he received since publishing his story has been inspiration. tara mergener for cbs news, boston. >>> the suspect in the boston marathon bombings has a new high-profile attorney. judy clark is a san diego lawyer specializing in death penalty cases. she has won life sentences instead of the death penalty for unibomber ted kaczynski among others. the boston bombing investigation is focusing on new evidence found on one of the bombs and the widow of the bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev. bob orr reports. >> reporter: sources say female dna has been found on a fragment of one of the bombs used in boston. that could have come from a spectator in the crowd or maybe from a clerk who sold the bomb making materials but investigators say it's also possible it could have come from a female accomplice. katherine russell i

collins wrote, the simple answer is i have no idea. the biggest concern seems to be that gay players will behave unprofessionally in the locker room. my behavior wasn't an issue before and it won't be one now. both the nba and the washington wizards immediately issued t atements of support for collins after he came out. scott collins is a free agent so we don't yet know how or if his opportunities with the nba will be affected by being openly gay. >> pelley: ben tracy in our los angeles news room, thanks. on this story we wanted to check in with james brown, a cbs news special correspondent and of course the host of the nfl today. james, help us calibrate this. what happened today? is this one man's declaration or is it an historic moment in therican professional sports? >> historic in that he is the first from team sports. i think if we were to calibrate his, it would put it in context. it is pretty significant from one of the four major team sports. olry well thought-out, a very bright young man jason collins snd one who certainly re

call jason collins a friend. and world famous tennis player martina n martina navritalova cents this tweet, well done, jason collins. you are a brave man and a big man at that. 1981 was the year for me. 2013 is the year for you. >> with each player that comes out there will be less and less of a big deal which is exactly what we want. >> reporter: the white house was also asked to weigh in. >> we view that as another example of the progress that has been made and the evolution that has been taking place in this country. >> reporter: it is a watershed moment but what happens next for collins' career and how he'll be treated by others away from the public eye is not known. but his former coach, boston celtics doc rivers, compared this moment to jackie robinson, number 42, breaking down another sports barrier. rivers tweeting quote, if you have learned anything from jackie robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. it will be society who has to learn tolerance. lisa sylvester, cnn, washington. >>

collins' twin brother -- jarron -- is straight. jason says when he came out to his brother last summer, he was astounded, but for the first time in their lives, juh-ron wanted to step in and protect him. grant lodes is following reaction to the story.and why jason collins decided to come out.grant. >>grant lodes: jason collins just tweeted: he said the boston bombings reminded him that nothing in life is guaranteed. he just waited all the support i have received today is truly inspirational. i knew that i was choosing the road less traveled but i'm not walking it alone. collins staretd the sports illustrated article by writing: i'm a 34-year-old nba center. i'm black. and i'm gay. collins says he didn't set out to be the first, but since he is, he's happy to start the conversation.adding: "i wish i wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'i'm different.' if i had my way, someone else would have already done this. nobody has, which is why i'm raising my hand." today kron 4 visited with warriors coach mark jackso

jason collins utterly demolishes them. he's a 7-foot, 255-pound, trash-talking bruiser, who has played on six teams over twelve years in the nba, making it to the playoffs nine times. >> i pride myself on setting tough picks. you know, going out there and being physical. >> reporter: collins made history in "sports illustrated" with these 12 words -- "i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black, and i'm gay." >> jackie robinson, what he was to integration, what billie jean king has been to women's rights, and now jason collins for gay rights. i think this is not just big sports news, this is big news in our country. >> reporter: collins has been hiding his sexuality for years. quote, when i was younger, i dated women. i even got engaged. i thought i had to live a certain way -- i kept telling myself the sky was red, but i always knew it was blue. his one small secret gesture of solidarity with the lgbt community, wearing the unusually high number 98, a reference another watershed moment, 1998, the year a young gay man, named m

to call jason collins a friend. and world famous tennis player martina navritilova said this. referencing are wrong coming out. well done, you are a brave man and a big man at that. 1981 was the year for me, 2013 is the year for you. >> with each player that comes out there will be less of a big deal which is exactly what we wanted. >> reporter: the white house also weighed in. >> we view that as another example of the progress that has been made in the evolution that has been taking place in this country. >> reporter: it is a watershed moment. but what happens next for his career and how we will be treated by others away from the public eye is not known. his former coach, boston celtics doc rivers compares this moment to jackie robinson. number 42, breaking down another sports barrier. rivers tweeting if you have learned anything from jackie robinson, is that teammates are always the first to accept. it will be society has to learn tolerance. >> nba commissioner david stern also commended jason collins today. the n

and collins says that's very good news for the bulls. see, the way this pattern works right here, berkshire can break out above the top of the flag at 108. see where you are? then collins seems to very quickly jump to the 122 -- well, 113 to 122 range. and i've studied a lot of pen absents and flags and he's absolutely right. when we see that pattern, it happens most of the time. this last month where berkshire has done nothing, it could be the pause that refreshes. the stock has taken a breather and could start running immediately. what else looks bullish here? the most eye-catching thing for collins is the accumulation distribution line being sell. top of the chart. this is a volume-based indicator that measures whether the money is flowing into the stock -- people taking the stock, or out of the stock, people offering. over the last month while berkshire has traded sideways, there has been a very constant, even rising level of accumulation that collins says even though there has been some profit-taking in the stock, buyers continue to

jason collins made that announcement this morning. tara moriarty joins us with reaction from the golden state warriors and a team executive who can relate to collins' situation, good afternoon, tara. >> reporter: this has reverberated with the golden state warriors and he has come ayer h and it is a first for professional sports. jason collins appearing on the upcoming issue of sports illustrated. he said i am 34 nba center, i am black and i am gay. coliseum lines rights i didn't -- collins rights, i did not set out to be gay but since i am, i am happy to start the conversation. i wish i was not the kid in the classroom saying i am different and i wish somebody else did but nobody else did which is why i am raising my hand. he had to say. >> this is why in this situation, these players are at the end are done and that answers itself. you know right or wrong or indifferent it is something that is new to people. >> collins who played for stamford, the boston celtics and washington wizards, he is now a free agent. he hopes this announcem

washington wizards senator, jason collins, saying, i'm gay. more on the announcement from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: he was drafted as an inside scoring force. while jason collins is not a star or a starter anymore, the 12-year pro is now something no

why jason collins decided to come out. who is supporting him and who is not. >>> billion dollar trial, the jacksons are fighting back four years after michael's death. is his family crusading for justice or dollars? inside this courtroom thriller. >>> and mown tall brawl. men dedicated to protecting everest climbers launch an attack against them. tonight an unlikely threat >> announcer: from new york city, this is "nightline" with dan harris. >> good evening. history was made today, not just sports history but american history. a 7 foot, 255 pound nba player named jason collins surprised everyone by coming out of the closet in the pages of "sports illustrated." here's abc's amy robach. >> reporter: no move on the court could have ever landed jason collins in the record books like the one he made today. the nba veteran shocked the sports world by announcing he's gay. a bombshell announced in the pages of "sports illustrated" and on good morning america. >> i never set out to be the first. and obviously, you know you are wai

come on gu guys. >> collins now receiving an outpouring of support. even getting a call from the president himself. and shout out from his fellow nba players. >> i think it's fantastic that if he's taking such a positive influential role. spokes person in many respect. >> you can see the rest of george stephanopolous exclusive interview with jason collins tomorrow on good morning america at 7:00 a.m. right after abc 7 morning news. >> well new here at 11:00. elderly woman died tonight in an apparent fire in hayward. started at about 7:30 at the cypress house apartments on cypress avenue. man in his 70's did make it out. his wife who was confined to her d sadly did not. investigators say the fair started in the bedroom but they are not yet at this point sure how it started. >> hot weather is coming this week as fire danger let's check in with sandhya and look at live doppler 7 hd. >> yes. next couple days will be concerned about high fire danger but rate now i show you live doppler 7 hd and we have some patchy fog along the coast and higher clouds movi

collin, whenever you are, i can't wait to have you here. he is a lot of fun and i did tell all of the staff that we would look for somebody who is a great leader for this institution but also somebody who is fun because john was really fun and i feel we have fulfilled every qualification that we were looking for. his start date is june 1st, but he'll come out here in a short time. i would like to introduce our san francisco leader, mayor lee and we really value his input and the great he's here today to honor us. mayor lee? [ applause ] >> thank you, first of all let me tell you how i'm excited about being here. i always get excite when i come here. i want to signal my appraise for the board of trustees. you just did a marvelous job time and time again with the board of trustees to keep the confidence not only in this honor but our cultural view in general. i just came back from paris toond -- and to let you know, last time i was in paris i was a high school student. now to be introduced to mayor, he's an arts expert, so kudos to the board

washington wizards center jason collins saying "i'm gay." new reaction this morning but first more on the announcement from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: he was drafted as an inside scoring force. while jason collins is not a star or a starter any more the 12 year pro is something no active player in a major league team sport has ever been, openly gay. >> there are tens of thousands of people before him. he's the first one to come out while playing and say "i'm gay." >> reporter: collins wrote i want to do the right thing and not hide any more. i want to take a stand and say me, too. the reaction hugely positive. from kobe bryant proud of jason, nba commissioner david stern saluted his leadership mantel on this very important issue. and former first daughter chelsea clinton, classmate at stanford, cheered him for having the strength and courage to become the first. first lady michelle obama added "we've got your back." there have been openly gay athletes competing in individual sports. martina navratilova, for one. but in america's team sp

nba player jason collins tells the world he's gay. the first active pro player to come out sending shock waves through all of sports. and getting back an outpouring of emotion and support. our abc news exclusive. >> when you finally get to that point of acceptance, there's nothing more beautiful. >>> breaking overnight. poisoning at starbucks. a woman under arrest for trying to contaminate drinks. how the authorities tracked her down and the warning right now to other stores. >>> amanda knox on camera. revealing her emotional story for the first time to diane sawyer tonight. we'll hear directly from her this morning about those harrowing days in court. diane is here with the abc news excl

collins received a call from the white house, shout out from athletes and kudos from fellow players. jason collins became the first active male player in the four major american professional sports to come out as gay. he wrote i'm a 34 year old mba center, black and gay. it was posted on sports illustrated's website. he is now a free agent. he says he wants to keep playing. other players offered him support. >> he always has been a great guy and a great teammate. what've decision he made, he thought it was good for him. he is happy. ist cool with me. >> collins says this the sports illustrated article that vents in the boston bombing prompted him to come out. he realized things can change in an instant. why not be truthful. >>> back to you. >>> good morning maryland, collins will sit down for a interview with george stephanopoulos on good morning maryland. >>> several professional athletes are sounding off about collins coming out of the closet. brandon showed his support. part of his statement reads people have been paving the road for decades to make this happen. jayson is carrying

. >> sports is one of the final frontiers and 34-year-old jason collins is the trailblazer. before announcing to the world he's gay, the first person the former stanford basketball star confided in was his aunt it was in a conversation. he said it, i didn't miss a beat saying i've always known. >> san francisco rugby player was behind the it gets better campaign encouraging aj tleets speak out against bullying of gay students. >> i think people recognize this is considered the last closet in america to be come out. >> now, warriors coach knew collins. >> would he be welcome as a warrior? >> if he had game. if he can help this team. >> perhaps no one can identify with what collins may face as well as rick welsh announcing he's gay a couple years ago. >> so i'm happy for him because he's going to be the complete jason collins every day for the rest of his life. >> we asked what the reaction might be in the locker room to an openly gay player. >> i'm a teammate i'm going to embrace my teammates. >> his family says jason is prepared. >> will it be easy? no. will be be critiques?

come on gu guys. >> collins now receiving an outpouring of support. even getting a call from the president himself. and shout out from his fellow nba players. >> i think it's fantastic that if he's taking such a positive influential role. spokes person in many respect. >> you can see the rest of george stephanopolous exclusive interview with jason collins tomorrow on good morning america at 7:00 a.m. right after abc 7 morning news. >> at 11:00. elderly woman died tonight in an apparent fire in hayward. started at about 7:30 at the cypress house apartments on cypress avenue. man in his 70's did make it out. his wife who was confined toer bed sa did not. investigators say the fair started in the bedroom but they are not yet at this point sure how it started. >> hot weather is coming this week as fire danger let's check in with sandhya and look at live doppler 7 hd. >> yes. next couple days will be concerned about high fire danger but rate now i show you live doppler 7 hd and we have some patchy fog along the coast and higher clouds moving in as well. re

mark cuban calls jason collins a pioneer. the dallas mavericks owner will be here and daytime's tv giant dr. phil mcgraw joins us in studio 57 and the queen retires in favor of a new king but not where you think. the latest on an historic day in the netherlands. first, here's a look at today's "eye opener" at 8:00. >> no current athlete in the nba, nfl nhl or major league baseball has ever come out as gay until now. >> it's a revelation like no other. longtime nba center jason collins announces to the world he is gay. >> i think it's a positive thing. i think it's silly in 2013 that this kind of stuff -- people will look back on it years later and say are you kidding me? >> female identified on one of the fragments of the bomb used in boston. >> this becomes a critical moment. if that's her dna their relationship with her may change. >> cbs news learned the first shipment of u.s. aid to the armed syrian rebels happened today. >> how do you convince voters when they go into the voting booth not to focus on your marital history

and the nakt that collins that collins, a guy that has kicked a lot of butt. so, yeah, i think that has softened. >> dan -- >> what this debate comes down to is not who gay people are and where gay people are. we are who we are, and if there's no openly gay people in whatever environment you're talking about, that doesn't mean there's no gay people. i think what this comes down to is who straight people are. this isn't about whether jason collins or other athletes who happen to be gay are pansies, it's about whether heterosexual men, if they're afraid of gay men, if they're jumping up on chairs and shrieking and too terrified to shower in the same conditions that marines and sailors and airmen and everyone shower in. that's the irony here. this isn't about who gay people are, this is about who straight people are. and are straight people better than they've been built? are straight people less bigoted than they've convinced themselves they are? as we saw in the military after the repeal and a lot of lgbt soldiers came out and it was a nonissue and they were ac

and fact that collins, a guy that has kicked a lot of butt. so, yeah, i think that has softened. >> dan -- >> what this debate comes down to is not who gay people are and where gay people are. we are who we are, and if there's no openly gay people in whatever environment you're talking about, that doesn't mean there's no gay people. i think what this comes down to is who straight people are. this isn't about whether jason collins or other athletes who happen to be gay are pansies, it's about whether heterosexual men, if they're afraid of gay men, if they're jumping up on chairs and shrieking and too terrified to shower in the same conditions that marines and sailors and airmen and everyone shower in. that's the irony here. this isn't about who gay people are, this is about who straight people are. and are straight people better than they've been built? are straight people less bigoted than they've convinced themselves they are? as we saw in the military after the repeal and a lot of lgbt soldiers came out and it was a nonissue and they were ac