Obama 'couldn't be prouder' of Jason Collins

On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama said he had spoken with openly gay basketballer Jason Collins, whom he called "a terrific young man".

"I told him I couldn't be prouder of him," he told reporters at the White House.

"Americans should be proud that this is just one more step in the ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly and that everybody's part of a family, and we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance and not their sexual orientation," he said.