Shortly after NBA player Jason Collins came out publicly as a gay man on Monday (29 April), one of basketball’s biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant, took to Twitter to express his support.

‘Proud of you,’ Bryant wrote of Collins to his nearly 2.5 million followers.

He added: ‘Don’t suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others.’

Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant’s former teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers and now a TNT commentator, went on the air and commended Collins for ‘his character’ and for ‘showing us what leadership looks like.’

Other athletes who quickly tweeted support included American tennis stars Andy Roddick (pictured) and Mardy Fish.

Roddick, who was the top-ranked American tennis player for more than a decade and winner of the 2003 US Open, took things a step further Tuesday (30 April) by announcing that he had joined the group Athlete Ally to fight homophobia in sports.

‘Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere,’ Roddick said in a statement. ‘Jason Collins’ courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself.’

Roddick, who retired last September at the age of 30, added: ‘I want to support every athlete to feel comfortable and confident being themselves and to make sure that all people – players and fans alike – are welcome and included in tennis.’

Fish, who has been sidelined with a heart problem for much of the past year, is also an Athlete Ally and stated: ‘Everybody deserves a shot at playing sports. It shouldn’t matter in the least if that person is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Building community through healthy and inclusive activities should be one of the main focuses behind athletics, and that isn’t possible if you exclude LGBT individuals, especially our youth.’

Although no male tennis pro has ever come out during their career, Martina Navratilova came out in 1981 and nearly two decades later, 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo came out.

Navratilova, a member of the Athlete Ally advisory board, is happy to see the male players voicing support.

‘It’s people like Andy and Mardy who will help pave the way for LGBT athletes in tennis,’ said Navratilova, winner of 18 grand slam singles titles. ‘Though coming out is an intensely personal decision, with each new Athlete Ally that speaks out, an LGBT athlete could feel more comfortable coming out.’