First openly gay DI player Gordon leaves basketball to be firefighter
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Seton Hall's Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay Division I college basketball player, was not selected in last month's NBA draft and has decided to leave basketball for a career as a firefighter, he announced on Twitter.
I've had an amazing basketball career and want to thank everybody who has always been there supporting me every step on the way,” Gordon wrote on Instagram. “But I'm making a change in my career...I will now be working towards becoming a San Francisco Firefighter!! I'm excited about this and looking forward to having a long career!!”
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Gordon declared for the NBA draft after finishing up his NCAA eligibility as a graduate transfer at Seton Hall. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game while coming off the bench for the Pirates. He averaged 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in his two years at UMass and 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals while as a freshman at Western Kentucky.
Gordon was working out for teams in Las Vegas but did not sign with any.
