The first openly gay player on a team sport, Jason Collins, said on Twitter he believes he caught it on March 4 when the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Memphis Grizzlies.
“I tested positive for COVID19,” Collins began. “I believe I got it while on a trip to NYC at the beginning of the month for the Brooklyn Nets Pride night game. I had my first symptoms on Wed Mar 11. Terrible headache. A few days later I had a fever and then the cough.”
Collins said he sought treatment as recently as Saturday and is considering going back for more.
“On Saturday I went to the ER and got tested and spoke with some docs about the tightness in my chest,” Collins tweeted. “I’m home now resting but still experiencing some tightness and might go back to the hospital later today. Saturday my lungs were clear, which obviously is good.”
Collins, 41, played 13 NBA seasons from 2001-14 and spent seven-plus years with the Nets. He came out as openly gay in May 2013 and retired following the the2013-14 season.
Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 735 career games (477 starts).
His twin brother Jarron also played in the NBA and is currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
At least 10 active players have tested positive for the coronavirus but only five of them have been identified: Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood and the Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart.
