Jason Collins makes TIME’s 100 Most Influential list

Jason Collins has been named as one of TIME magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People.

The gay NBA star – who became the first in the sport to come out last year – features alongside the likes of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Beyoncé.

In February, Collins became the first gay NBA player when he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets NBA (National Basketball Association) team.

Chelsea Clinton penned a tribute to him for TIME, saying: “I met Jason Collins when we were freshmen at Stanford. Not surprisingly, the first thing I noticed was his height. The second thing I noticed was his kindness off the court — and his fierceness on it.

“Kindness to his friends, his family and fans. Fierceness in his drive to win. Jason has always been focused on others, on what’s right for those he loves, and on helping those whose jersey is the same as his.

“When Jason called to talk about his forthcoming Sports Illustrated cover story, ‘The Gay Athlete,’ I realized at some point that I wasn’t surprised we were having the conversation we were.

“Not because I knew what we were going to talk about when I answered the phone. Rather, because it made eminent sense that it would be Jason becoming the first openly gay, still active pro athlete in a major U.S. sports league,” Clinton added.

She also praised Collins for his “kindness”, “fierceness” and “integrity”, describing him as “a leader and an inspiration”.

Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Steve McQueen and Matthew McConaughey also feature on this year’s list.

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