Apr 7, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) on the court with Washington Wizards center Jason Collins (98) before the start of the game at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Sports history was made yesterday when NBA journeyman Jason Collins came out of the closet and announced to the world that he was gay. He became the first active player in the major four sports in the United States to do so.

He got a lot of support from all over the place. From his teammates to fellow NBA players to NFL players and players across sports, we were hearing about Jason Collins and how brave he was for doing this.

Today, a few of the Celtics decided to give their thoughts on what Collins did. Here’s what they had to say.

Kevin Garnett on Collins: “I’m just happy for him, being able to be himself. Everyone’s personal lives is their personal livers and their personal preferences is just that. We’re here to support everything he’s doing. I’m just happy for him, that he can be himself.”

KG on whether he thought he would see the day NBA player would come out: “Never really gave it much thought to be honest. People’s personal preferences have nothing to do with my own.”  

Jason Terry on Jason Collins coming out: “Happy for him. It looks like he’s had a tremendous weight lifted off of him. That’s all you can ask for, for any man or woman to be at peace with themselves. Then you can find that ultimate happiness. Being a teammate of his, I know how hard he works, how dedicated he was to his craft. He was a great teammate, regardless of his sexual preferences. It didn’t matter to me. I liked him as a guy, as a teammate and I still do.”

Pierce tells how Collins came out to him: “I had a chance to talk to Jason before the news even broke. The crazy thing about it is that it’s something I had mentioend to Doc that it was going to happen, there was going to be a gay player in pro sports to come out. It just so happens he seems to be first and i was one of his teammates, but to each his own. It’s probably going to open the door to many more. There’s so many pro athletes and human beings that live a dark life, that’s scared to expose it, because of the exposure of sports and what people may think about it. I think he did a great thing though, to open the door for a number of athletes, who will now have the courage to come out.”

Jeff Green on Collins: ”I was happy for him. He’s a great friend of mine. He’s a good teammate.”

Doc Rivers on Collins: “We had talked about it recently. When he called me to tell me, you could tell he wanted to tell me. I told him before he said it, ‘Jason I could care less about what you’re about to tell me.’ And that’s how I feel. I honestly feel that way. It’s a non-factor to me, and I know it is a factor to a lot of people. I’ve never understood why anyone cares what someone else does. And I told Jason that it will be a non-issue eventually, but it will not be right no

-via Celtics Hub

Such class is always shown by the players of the Celtics organization. But the most comforting thing is that they really just regurgitated the thoughts that many others had already put out before them. The acceptance of Jason Collins won’t go without struggle, but these players giving him overwhelming support is a sign that the struggle may be very little.

That’s a huge step for mankind, if you ask me. We all have differences as people, but accepting those differences is the key to peace around the world.

January 20, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Boston Celtics center Jason Collins (98) and Detroit Pistons power forward Jason Maxiell (54) fight for the rebound in the first quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Collins makes history in the sports world by being the first active athlete in the four major pro sports to come out as gay. Collins made this announcement to Sports Illustrated earlier this afternoon.

Collins played was a member of the Boston Celtics earlier this season. He was traded to the Washington Wizards along with Leandro Barbosa for Jordan Crawford. Collins averaged 10.3 minutes per game with the Celtics and has been an NBA journeyman for most of his career.

Doc Rivers spoke to Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated today on Collins and had nothing but good things to say about him.

“He didn’t play all the time, but when he did play he was ready,” said Rivers. “What I was impressed with was how much he prepared. There are a lot of players who are not playing and then when you need them, they’re not ready to play because they don’t prepare. You could bring Jason Collins in at any point in the game, and he has studied the opposing team’s scouting report like he thought he was going to be playing 40 minutes that night. And he did it that way every time.

Via Sports Illustrated

Could Rasheed Wallace have been the missing piece for a Celtics’ title this year? First, let the laughter clear the room. Now really analyze this thought. On paper what is the Celtics’ biggest weakness?

Even after the addition of Darko Milicic, who by all accounts has been impressive, the frontcourt still remains a question mark. Boston knows what they will get from Kevin Garnett. Brandon Bass had a career year last season. Jeff Green will help contribute at the four spot, but he has been most effective playing small forward.

After those three, things become cloudier. Jared Sullinger was strong in the first two preseason games setting fans expectations high, but he is still a rookie. Chris Wilcox is coming off heart surgery, and has been battling a back issue throughout training camp. Jason Collins’ career production of 3.8 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game doesn’t exactly exude confidence either.

Could Wallace have been the solution? He has been absent from the NBA the past two seasons, and is undeniably out of shape. He arguably (alright he definitely did) coasted through his last regular season with Boston. He’s been known as a questionable figure within the locker room, and commitment has never been his strong suit. So why even bother?

First, he’s a gamer. While he slacked off in the 2009-2010 regular season, he stepped it up in time for the playoffs, most notably with his Game 7 performance against the Lakers. Forced into a starting role with the Kendrick Perkins’ injury, Wallace played 36 minutes, giving the Celtics 11 points and 8 rebounds. Wallace could take the first two months of this season to work himself into game shape. When he’s ready, the Celtics could then slowly integrate him into the lineup on a regular basis.

Garnett and Wallace have a tremendous relationship dating back to 1995 when they were part of the same draft class. Wallace’s personality would seem to fit in perfectly with a team led by proud veterans. He’s the same guy who guaranteed a win in Game 2 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers. The Pistons of course won the game, on their way to an NBA title, and the media coined the term “guarensheed.”

Wallace was also known to carry around a replica WWE championship belt, and gave each of his teammates a belt. His addition would give the Celtics a Hall-of-Fame collection of trash talkers with himself, Garnett, Jason Terry, and Paul Pierce. He’s been through the playoff battles and his experience could prove valuable come May. He would also have the respect of those veterans, which is important on the floor during crunch time.

On the court Wallace is one of the most talented big men ever. Remember talent does not mean greatness or even production, but Wallace had all the skills to dominate a game, both offensively and defensively. His turn around bank shot off the backboard is just as unstoppable as Garnett’s turnaround fade away in the post. Defensively, Wallace’s communication rivals Garnett’s level. He can be heard from television barking out instructions to teammates, standing as the last line of defense.

He’s too old and washed up to play, he’d never stay healthy some may argue. He’s 38-years old, which is two years older than Garnett, and in his last season with Boston he played 79 games. In his final six NBA seasons, Wallace played a minimum of 66 games each year. After taking two years off, he won’t be at the same level, but wouldn’t it have been worth a shot to at least invite him to training camp.

Wallace may have left a sour taste with Boston fans and maybe even Danny Ainge, after his one-year stint. He has now signed with the New York Knicks making him the enemy. But if the Celtics had managed to capture that Game 7 against the Lakes, he’d forever be remembered as a Boston hero.

Would Wallace make a drastic impact for the Celtics? Maybe not, but who would you rather have backing Garnett up at center in a playoff series against the Heat this year. Milicic, Wilcox, Collins, or a four-time NBA all-star who was one of the leaders for an NBA champion Pistons’ squad.

As Wallace would say, “BALL DON’T LIE.”