Chris Broussard Of ESPN Believes Jason Collins' Being Openly Gay Could Be 'An Act Of Rebellion To God' [VIDEO]

With all the positive comments Jason Collins received after 'coming out of the closet' early Monday, ESPN basketball analyst Chris Broussard had not a so encouraging response about the NBA center's sexuality.

Broussard, who served as one of the panelists in ESPN's Outside the Lines on Monday, believes Collins could be sinning for deviating from one basic teaching of Christianity.

"Personally I don't believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly premarital sex between heterosexuals," Broussard said.

Broussard, who's best known for exclusive NBA reports, went on to say that Collins' confession as the first openly gay player in major US sports is actually an act of rebellion to God.

"If you're openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that's a sin. If you're openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be."

"I think that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don't think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian," Broussard said during his segment in Monday's Outside the Lines.

Collins' sexuality was first reported in the latest issue of Sports Illustrate Monday morning, getting positive messages from former US President Bill Clinton, Lakers star Kobe Bryant, and Warriors president Rick Welts, who's also openly gay.

Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Mike Wallace, on the other hand, doesn't understand why Collins had to come out.

"All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys. I'm not bashing anybody." But his league, seeking to rehabilitate an image that has been perceived as not strict enough about homophobic comments by its players and potentially illegal motivations by its executives, is not taking that for a final answer," Wallace tweeted on Monday.

Since opening up, Collins has so far received mixed opinions.

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different,'" Collins said in Sports Illustrated. "If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."