Jason Collins has been in the news quite a bit lately after becoming the first active player in a major American sport to announce his homosexuality. What has not received as much attention, however, has been the experience of his twin brother Jarron.
Both Jason and Jarron Collins were on the set of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday to discuss Jason's coming out with Kimmel. Though Jason's story was a bit more personal, it was anecdotes from Jarron that kept the segment lighthearted.
"I was literally at the urinal in the restroom and . . . I look over and someone turns to me and says 'Jason?'" Jarron told Kimmel while his brother sat between the two laughing. "And I'm like, 'no that's the other one,' . . . I didn't want to know what happened if [I] had said, 'Yes, I'm Jason.'"
To top it all off, at the end of the taping, Jimmy Kimmel had a special gift for Jarron. Kimmel presented the former NBA player with a black t-shirt that read: "I'm The Straight One." That should clear up any future confusion for the identical twin brothers.
"Thanks to @jimmykimmel for the tshirt parting gift....this ought to clear things up," Jarron posted on his Twitter account Wednesday night with a link to a photo from the show.
A few weeks ago NBA center Jason Collins shocked the world and stirred up quite a bit of controversy with the announcement of his sexual preference. It was especially surprising because Jason had been engaged before, and yet had kept his homosexuality a secret, even from his own brother.
"He's my best friend and any time you come out to someone, you always have that apprehension that they're going to reject, even though I knew that that wasn't going to be the case," Jason Collins said about his brother.
As for how his life has been since the announcement, Jason Collins seems to be feeling good about his decision to come out. Though it has not been easy for him, it appears that he is gaining strength with each passing day.
"I've always been scared of saying the wrong thing," Collins said. "But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly."
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