Jason Collins, a 12-year NBA veteran who joined the Washington Wizards midway through this season, is the first current athlete in a major U.S. sport to declare himself openly gay. In the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated, Collins, 34, authors an essay with the magazine’s Franz Lidz about his path to stepping out of the closet.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” Collins’ story begins.

Among the elements of Collins’ story is how he selected his uniform number. Collins, who came to the Wizards in a February trade with the Boston Celtics, wears No. 98. He writes that he picked the number because it refers to the year—1998—that gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tortured, and left to die on a fence on the side of the road.

Collins, who is currently a free agent, also writes that while some college classmates at Stanford urged him to come out, he stayed closeted throughout his career because he didn’t want his personal life to distract from on-court matters:

Loyalty to my team is the real reason I didn’t come out sooner. When I signed a free-agent contract with Boston last July, I decided to commit myself to the Celtics and not let my personal life become a distraction. When I was traded to the Wizards, the political significance of coming out sunk in. I was ready to open up to the press, but I had to wait until the season was over.

But he feels that in 2013, the environment is right for this kind of announcement. Collins credits the advocacy of NFL players like Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo—straight athletes who are outspoken advocates for same-sex marriage—as well as President Obama’s invocation of the 1969 Stonewall riots in his second inaugural address.

Collins’ announcement also comes a few weeks after CBS Sports reported that a current NFL player may also be preparing to do the same.

But the historic nature of Collins’ essay is immediate. “Jason Collins has forever changed the face of sports,” Chad Griffin, the president of Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, says in a news release. “No longer will prejudice and fear force gay athletes to remain silent about a fundamental part of their lives. At a moment when millions are reflecting on the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, Jason Collins is a hero for our own times.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern also applauded Collins. “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue,” he said in a statement.

Former President Bill Clinton, whose daughter, Chelsea, attended Stanford the same time as Collins, also put out a statement commending the basketball player.

“I have known Jason Collins since he was Chelsea’s classmate and friend at Stanford,” Clinton said. “Jason’s announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities.”

The Wizards, through team president Ernie Grunfeld, are also responding to Collins’ news. “We are extremely proud of Jason and support his decision to live his life proudly and openly,” Grunfeld said in a statement from the club. “He has been a leader on and off the court and an outstanding teammate throughout his NBA career. Those qualities will continue to serve him both as a player and as a positive role model for others of all sexual orientation.”

Collins was quickly embraced by Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who offered his praise on Twitter: