Derrick Gordon made history in 2014 as the first openly gay male basketball player on an NCAA Division I team to play a game. He is also the first player to play in the NCAA tournament with three different teams, Western Kentucky, UMass, and Seton Hall.
But he won’t be moving on to the NBA as many expected. He did not receive a single NBA tryout, and Gordon believes that is because he came out as gay.
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“I wasn’t getting anywhere in terms of workouts,” Gordon told Gannett New Jersey on Tuesday. “Nobody was calling. Even after I went to the (Las Vegas) combine in July, I still didn’t get any feedback.”
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Gordon stood out in his college career mostly for his tenacious defense, hustle and leadership skills. He helped lead UMass to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. He feels if he had been just any other athlete he would have gotten at least some interest to see what he could do against players at his same level.
“I personally don’t believe it was because of my game,” Gordon said. “I think at least I could have been given a shot to work out (for an NBA team), to play against some of those other players instead of being shut out…I didn’t get a fair shot to show what I could do. It was without a doubt because of the fact that I’m gay. I was heartbroken.”
Jason Collins, who became the first openly gay NBA player when he came out in 2013 after playing in the league for years, has become a mentor to Gordon. Collins is disappointed that he wasn’t given a tryout, Gordon reported. Collins has since retired.
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The NCAA has said that they will begin considering LGBTQ rights laws in future host cities for tournaments, and the NBA moved the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte due to the discriminatory HB2.
Gordon has now set his sights on becoming a firefighter, which he announced on Instagram.
“I’m excited. Ever since I was little, when the trucks came by and I would hear the alarms go off, it always caught my attention,” Gordon said. “I always pictured myself in the back of a truck, in the passenger’s seat, as the driver. I always thought, if I don’t play basketball, this is what I would love to do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a dangerous job, a career as a firefighter. But it’s a great opportunity.”
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Still, he wishes he had been given an opportunity to try to make an NBA team.
“Honestly, the NBA is just not ready for an openly gay player right now,” he said. “Maybe it’s going to take some time for it to get to that point. I’m going to support that person, whoever that is. Right now, in 2016, I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
Watch a video profile on Derrick Gordon below, produced by Outsports.
Masc Pride
So “playing the gay card” is officially a thing with any gay athlete that doesn’t make it (refer back to Michael Sam). Never mind that these guys are mediocre or subpar players, they’re gay so they should be the next sports star!
redcarpet30
So your saying homophobic decisions are never made by sports administration? Guys just saying what everyone knows to be true: two athletes with equal skill, the straight one will get picked over the gay one supposedly to avoid controversy but often because gay is assumed weak. We will never know it because it all happens behind the scenes. It’s just like Hollywood.
Side note: He’s hot AF!
Dave Downunder
Sad that he didn’t get to follow his dream but great that he has a new focus. There may be a series of small but containable kitchen fires occurring in San Francisco’s gay neighbourhoods soon if is going to be on call 😉
dinard38
Hmmmmm…. For someone to be college educated, the young man needs to work on his grammar. I heard a lot of cringe-worthy “they was” and double negatives and other bad grammar that you should not be hearing from a college student. These athletes need to take their education seriously when they go to college on scholarships and not just focus solely on the sport. You always need a fall back plan in case the sports career doesn’t pan out as it didn’t with Derrick Gordon. At least Derrick realizes that he probably won’t have a future in the NBA and had started working on being a firefighter unlike Mr. Sam, who still thinks he has a chance to play in the NFL.
Professional sports is just still not ready for an openly gay player.
ErikO
It’s not because he’s gay, it’s because he’s not nearly as good at playing basketball as he thinks he is.
Masc Pride
“Professional sports is just still not ready for an openly gay player.”
Jason Collins? Michael Sam also could’ve made it if he was as focused on being a good player as he was with trying to get a reality show. Particularly with Sam, they pulled out all the stops for him. No one can say he didn’t get a fair shot because he was gay. He got more positive press than any other player back at that time. It’s much easier to self-victimize and blame everyone else when you lose. Winners look at their faults and try to improve instead of wallowing in self-pity.
asby
He was an average college player….He should be happy that he found himself a sugar daddy…And that he is living the good life in San Francisco without actually working
Xzamilio
Bruh… you were averaging 8 points a game. That’s not NBA level. This ain’t a fight for gay rights with this one. This is a player who wasn’t good enough. If Lebron James was gay, do you think he wouldn’t have been called to the pros out of high school? Because I don’t. So sorry, but Michael Sam and Jason Collins and Derrick Gordon aren’t gonna be the beacon of light for gay/closeted players in the NBA/NFL… and honestly, that’s a good thing.
Xzamilio
As a gay man, I applaud them for having the conviction and the courage to be open with their teammates an in a testosterone driven homophobic environment. But, as a sports fan, they’re not that good and their numbers don’t back up the assertion that is was >i>just homophobia that led to them not making pro.
money718
Wow. I saw a lot of Seton Hall’s games. Dude was average at best. Probably below replacement level.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
If Lebron James was gay, he’d be closeted. Also, was passed on San Fran because there were rumors he was gay. He’s not sure why he was passed up by them – but, rumors are it was because he was gay.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
Aaron Rodgers was passed up by San Fran.
Xzamilio
Not having this pointless conversation. Derrick Gordon’s numbers were mediocre. The end. He didn’t warrant a look by the NBA.
robtosh
Absolutely disgraceful. The dinosaurs running this sport need to wake up and look at the skills on offer, not who someone chooses to go to bed with. Why should this man have to wait because prehistoric bigots are unable to get over antediluvian prejudices?
Xzamilio
8. Points. A. Game. Does anybody even look up stats?
Kangol
He’s a cutie but was not an NBA-level talent. Still, I’m surprised a team didn’t give him a shot for publicity reasons. Also surprising that he’s decided to become a firefighter, but hey, whatever floats your boat! Whichever bear daddy ends up with him will have lucked out!
SumSay
He thinks he’s hot sh%t, but his stats really aren’t NBA status. He’s good, better than most average college players, but not even nearly good enough for the league. Oh well, they’ll be a day when “The One” will come.
solacesoul
He doesn’t make the NBA, so he just gives up? He didn’t try for CBA or another league overseas? What a whiny, entitled wuss. If he really wanted to play pro basketball, he wouldn’t have just given up after not being selected by the NBA.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
Queerty – you need a block button. I need to block Xzamillo yesterday.
Brian
The NBA has a very homophobic black culture. If it were mainly white, it would be more open to gay-identifying people.
The type of black men in the NBA are also not mostly of the intellectual variety. Some of them are illiterate buffoons. You’re not going to get any open-mindedness from these sorts.
Xzamilio
Queerty, please get that block button for Baba Boogery Falafel idiot… because the last thing I want to do is expose him to things on the Internet he doesn’t like.
Xzamilio
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: Or you can be a big girl and deal with different opinions… like an adult.