Those that watched Massachusetts men’s basketball guard Derrick Gordon play basketball this season saw a high-intensity player capable of playing ferocious defense.

By season’s end, Gordon had crashed to the floor beneath the basket after finishing a layup too many times to count. He didn’t quit on plays, even taking it so far that he dove over a sideline media table and cascaded into media members covering UMass’ home opener against Louisiana State.

On Wednesday, Gordon yet again crashed through a barrier, a barrier much more meaningful than wins or losses. Sporting a black T-shirt with the hashtag #BETRUE scrawled across the chest, Gordon publicly announced he’s gay, becoming the first male Division I basketball player to openly come out.

“Nobody in this world should be living their life in shame being who they really are,” he said.

Gordon said his announcement comes at a time where he’s comfortable and confident with himself, after wrestling with this internal emotion for the better part of the past four years. One of the biggest challenges he fretted over was delivering the news to his teammates.

“I thought about it all the time like, ‘man I don’t know if I could tell my teammates this,” Gordon said.

The team gathered last Wednesday with UMass coach Derek Kellogg leading the meeting while Gordon sat off to the side. Gordon’s initial plan was to deliver the news himself, but Kellogg instead eased the situation and announced to the team that he was gay.

The team looked on, confused about the news delivered from a man with a wife and children like Kellogg.

“(Gordon) was really nervous, more of how the guys were going to react or if there was going to be any blowback to a certain extent,” Kellogg said. “I think it was a good way to break the ice and I think when I said it, they knew why (Gordon) was there.”

For Gordon, the reaction he received was surprising.

“They all knew, all of them,” Gordon said. “Even the ones I thought didn’t have a clue. … I’m still trying to let that sink in because I don’t believe that, but they said they did.”

Gordon noted his teammates first started to notice differences last summer, when only the players were on campus for summer workouts. The prospect of going through another summer filled with secrecy and deception would’ve been too difficult.

“When you’re around your teammates and they’re always talking about girls and you don’t have any input, I had to deal with that all four years,” Gordon said.

“I think that’s when (my teammates) finally started realizing because every time they talked about it, I didn’t say anything, I just sat there,” Gordan added. “Just finally being able to come out now and be who I want and my teammates accepting me for who I am … I couldn’t ask for better teammates.”

One of Gordon’s closest friends on the team is center Tyler Bergantino. The two roomed together last year and have remained close friends. And while Bergantino was surprised by the announcement, he said the support was immediate.

“Everybody had full support,” he said. “There was (initially) an uneasiness about everything, but what was the biggest emotion was support for (Gordon) because at the end of the day he’s a teammate and a brother.”

Kellogg echoed Bergantino’s sentiments.

“To a man, they all took Derrick on as a family member a long time ago,” he said. “And we just reiterated that when he told them he was a gay man.

Once Gordon crossed the initial barrier with his teammates, it was time to turn his attention publicly. As the news was announced around campus, many students and fans took to social media to express their support of the sophomore guard.

“I was happy for him, especially because I watched the whole (announcement) video and he seemed happy,” Mike Stone, a senior, said. “He was telling how different it was from before when he was not sitting with his team and trying to hide himself and now he’s out and thrilled.”

Added fellow senior Zack Hathaway: “It was really nice to see and it was nice to see UMass in that spotlight for a very good reason. It was very uplifting and a huge weight off his shoulders.”

As Gordon openly chatted to reporters on Wednesday, one thing remained constant: his smile. He flashed it regularly and seemed comfortably at ease.

“I’m happy right now,” Gordon said.

“My teammates, they don’t care what my preference is,” he added. “They knew who I am and nothing is gonna change, I’m still gonna be the same DG from when I first got here. It’s going to make us much closer I think.”

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.