Ex-UK basketball player Isaac Humphries comes out as gay. ‘Don’t want to hide who I am’

Former University of Kentucky basketball player Isaac Humphries, who now plays for Australia’s Melbourne United, sharing the news with his current teammates.

“I don’t want to hide who I am anymore,” Humphries told the team after saying he had been struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality while playing professional basketball, according to the video he shared on Nov. 15 to Twitter.

He is the first professional basketball player “in a top-tier” men’s league to announce he’s gay, according to ESPN.

“We, as athletes, as professional athletes, have a responsibility to set examples for people,” Humphries said in the video.

“That’s my goal behind this: make sure people know you can be whatever you want, no matter who you are or what you do. You can be big Ice and be gay, and you can still be a great basketball player and be gay. You can do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with your sexuality, or who you are, or who you’re meant to be, or who you’re expected to be. I just want to be myself. I discovered this is my purpose in life, and I’m gonna give it my best go.”

His announcement was met with applause and hugs from his teammates, the video shows.

Humphries played for UK from 2015-2017, averaging 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft, he appeared in five games with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018-19 season before joining Melbourne United in Australia’s National Basketball League.

The NBA reacted to Humphries’ video in a statement on Twitter and wrote “we are proud and grateful to Isaac for sharing his story.”

“We know the real impact his honesty and courage will have on many others. Isaac has our unwavering respect and support,” the NBA added.

In a CNN opinion article published Nov. 16, Humphries wrote: “I saw that being open about who you are can be the most freeing thing a person can ever do. Being gay didn’t come with shame anymore; it came with liberation.”

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