Isaac Humphries comes out as NBL's first openly gay player / News - Basketnews.com

Isaac Humphries, a former Kentucky player who currently plays in the Australian NBL, has come out publicly as gay.

Credit: Kelly Defina/Getty Images Credit Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Isaac Humphries, who plays for the Melbourne United in Australia, has come out publicly as gay.

Isaac Humphries

Position:PFAge:24Height:213 cmWeight:116 kgBirth place:AustraliaProfileNewsStatistics

"I figured out a lot about myself in the offseason," he told CNN, "and I knew if I was to join a team and start a season I would have to be who I am and not hide anymore because I've made too much ground within myself to go backwards and be put back in the closet."

In the op-ed, Humphries, 24, talks about growing up in sports, in Australia and elsewhere, and never seeing other out gay men. He credits spending time in Los Angeles with finding the courage to come out and seeing the possibility of being publicly out in his career.

"In LA, it was completely different," he wrote. "I was around some of the most successful people in the world – everyone from musicians, television and film producers, media personalities, A-list celebrities – and got to see that being openly gay can come with joy. For the first time in my life, I saw that people at the top of their game can be open and honest about who they are, and that came with a visceral and contagious happiness."

Humphries grew up in Australia and played high school ball in Indiana. He declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore year with Kentucky, going undrafted. After being named the National Basketball League Rookie of the Year in 2018, he had a very brief stint in the NBA. In 2019, he appeared in five games for the Atlanta Hawks. In two seasons for Kentucky he averaged 2.4 points per game.

Humphries says he has combated "extremely dark times" and is relieved to reveal he is the first openly gay man to ever play in the National Basketball League.

Humphries told his teammates on Wednesday of his decision to go public.

"I have hidden something about myself my whole life, from everyone I love, and even myself sometimes. It is a truth about myself that I have wanted to deny for a long time, but now I feel comfortable telling you all. That truth is that I am gay," Humphries said.

"I have been through extremely dark times during this journey, but I have been through so much growth and I am now happy with who I am.

I figured out a lot about myself during this most recent off-season, and I have thought about this a lot. I knew if I were to join a team and start a season, I would have to reveal who I am and not hide anymore. I have finally come to a point where I know I can reveal myself as a gay man and still play professional sport.”

United said Humphries is the only openly gay male professional basketball player currently playing in a major league around the world. He is the first professional Australian male basketball player to confirm that he is gay, and first player in the NBL to be openly gay.

"I believe it is definitely time to make a change and set an example to the next generation that they can be anything they want while still being true to themselves," he said.

"I want to demonstrate that you can be a professional athlete, you can be anything you want, and still be gay. By me being truthful with you, I hope you understand that this will now allow me to be truly myself, both in life and as a member of this team."

The National Basketball League fully supports Melbourne United player, Isaac Humphries, and stands with him following his announcement today.

"Isaac has always been a role model and leader. He is someone we’ve always held in the highest regard," NBL Commissioner, Jeremy Loeliger said.

"Isaac has conducted himself admirably today and over the course of his career, in dealing with what has clearly been a significant cause of distress and consternation for him personally."

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