Former NBA player and champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Richard Jefferson made a shocking revelation on a recent podcast of “We Might Be Drunk.” Co-hosts Mark Normand and Sam Morril, enquired about lacing up with a gay player. His response following the question shocked everyone present.
The player in question, Jason Collins, was the first openly gay active player in the NBA, as well as being the first male athlete in major American professional sports to openly come out. His career path took him to the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards.
While talking about the incident, Jefferson made a shocking revelation. He said:
He (Collins) came out as gay. It just never came up. He actually dated. He dated a woman for a long time.
Jason Collins started his career by being selected as the 18th overall draft pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA draft. His path with Jefferson began when he was traded to the Nets, where they shared the court together as teammates. Collins in his career had averages of 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Richard Jefferson recalls LeBron James’ unstoppable performance
Richard Jefferson and LeBron James once played against each other. Jefferson once played for the Milwaukee Bucks and recalled a moment where he guarded James during a game between the Bucks and James’ former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. James had an exceptional game, scoring 55 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out nine assists to lead the Cavaliers to victory over the Bucks.
LeBron James and Richard Jefferson (images via Open Source/X)As James proved to be an unstoppable force that day, Jefferson could only marvel at how the then Cavs player dictated the pace of the game. Speaking on the podcast, ‘We Might be Drunk’, he humorously reminisced about the game:
LeBron James put a double nickel on me. Put 55 on me. And it was like our coach, it was our coach Scott Skiles at the time. And he was like, ‘Whenever the Cavs play well, it’s because Mo Williams goes off for 20 plus’, which was true. They’re like LeBron will get what LeBron gets.
During a previous encounter, where the Cavaliers faced the Bucks on the road, it was a hard-fought game that witnessed James’ remarkable third-quarter performance. Richard Jefferson also made significant contributions during the game, scoring 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
