In a powerful and characteristically blunt segment on TNT’s Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley spoke out in defense of closeted athletes following the tragic passing of NBA trailblazer Jason Collins. During the May 13, 2026, broadcast, Barkley pushed back against the notion that coming out is no longer a “big deal” in modern sports, citing a persistent culture of animosity.
“Anybody Who Thinks We Ain’t Got a Bunch of Gay Players is Stupid”
The discussion began as a tribute to Jason Collins, the first active NBA player to come out as gay, who died on May 12, 2026, at the age of 47 after a battle with glioblastoma. When co-analyst Kenny Smith suggested that Collins’ bravery had made coming out easier for today’s athletes, Barkley sharply disagreed.
“It would still be a big deal,” Barkley asserted. “We live in a homophobic society. Anybody who thinks we ain’t got a bunch of gay players in all sports, they’re just stupid. If you don’t think there are more gay players in the NFL, Major League Baseball, and the NBA, you’re just stupid.”
The Charles Barkley gay players pro sports 2026 comments highlight a sobering reality: despite Collins breaking the barrier in 2013, no active NBA player has followed his lead in the thirteen years since.
Barkley elaborated on why he believes so many athletes choose to remain private about their sexuality. He pointed to the “vitriol” and “animosity” that still exists within fan bases and locker rooms.
“There is such an animosity towards the gay community,” the Hall of Famer added. “And that’s what’s really unfortunate.”
Barkley’s comments echo his long-standing history as an LGBTQ+ ally. In July 2023, he famously went viral for defending trans and gay fans during a celebrity golf tournament, telling critics, “If you’re gay, God bless you. If you’re trans, God bless you. And if you have a problem with them—f— you.”
The sports world continues to mourn Jason Collins, whose 2013 Sports Illustrated cover changed the landscape of American professional sports. Collins revealed his Stage 4 glioblastoma diagnosis in December 2025, writing for ESPN that the years following his coming out were “the best of my life.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and figures from across the league have spent the week honoring Collins not just for his 13-season career, but for the “extraordinary courage” it took to be the first. Barkley concluded the segment by emphasizing that while Collins opened the door, the sports world still has a long way to go before every athlete feels safe enough to walk through it.
