NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in one of the four major North American professional leagues, announced his retirement Wednesday after 13 years in the NBA.“It’s time and I’m very much looking forward to the next steps,” Collins said during a press conference Wednesday before the Brooklyn Nets played the Milwaukee Bucks.The 35-year-old Collins disclosed his plans earlier in a first-person story for Sports Illustrated. It’s the same forum he used in April, 2013, to publicly reveal his sexuality. He was signed by the Nets in February and played 22 games for the team.Collins said he decided to retire over the summer and had been trying to determine how to make the announcement.