Openly Gay Basketball Player Recruited by the ABA
December 1, 2008 by Padraic @ GLAAD
![Mike Survillion [Photo from RockDogsBasketball.com]](http://www.rockdogsbasketball.com/images/comprofiler/plug_profilegallery/76/tnpg_1009332989.jpg)
Mike Survillion - Photo from RockDogsBasketball.com
“We had 32 players and have cut down to about 17,” Dee Minor, Rumble vice president of team operations, told the Bay Area Reporter. “Mike is one of the 17. At this point, no one has signed a contract. That wouldn’t happen until after Thanksgiving.”
Minor says sexual orientation is not a factor when choosing players.
“In basketball, it’s about athletics. We’re looking for the best semipro men’s basketball team we can put on,” Minor said.
According to Outsports, this makes Survillion the second openly gay male professional basketball player in the United States. Survillion’s Rock Dogs teammate, DeMarco Majors, played with the ABA’s Hawaii team for a period of time. Perhaps the most famous gay professional basketball player, John Amaechi, did not publicly come out until after he left the NBA.
Mike has already shown up on our radars during our previous coverage of Shirts & Skins, in particular when he came out to his mother right before the Chicago championships and when he hit up Amaechi for advice on a professional career. It’s so great to see him following his dreams. Hopefully we’ll hear more about him in the future!
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