Collins takes court as first openly gay NBA player

This June 8, 2013 file photo shows NBA veteran Jason Collins, left, marching in Boston’s gay pride parade alongside U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a college roommate, second right, and Kennedy’s wife Lauren Anne Birchfield, center, in Boston. Collins became the NBA’s first active openly gay player Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. AP

LOS ANGELES – Jason Collins took another trailblazing step as the first openly gay man in a major US pro sports league Sunday when he took the court for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

Hours after the Nets inked Collins to a 10-day contract, he came in as a substitute in the second quarter of the Nets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was the 13-year NBA veteran’s first appearance in the league since he went public in April about his homosexuality, a revelation that came after his contract with the Washington Wizards expired.

Facing a bevy of media at the Staples Center before the game, Collins said his biggest immediate concern was proving he still belonged in the league.

“Right now, I’m focused on trying to learn the plays, trying to learn the coverages, the game plan, my assignment,” he said. “I don’t have time to really think about history right now.”

Nets general manager Billy King said the move to sign Collins was a “basketball decision.”

“We needed to increase our depth inside, and with his experience and size, we felt he was the right choice for a 10-day contract,” King said.

The Nets, in need of a big man after trading Reggie Evans to Sacramento last week, apparently plumped for Collins after learning that Glen Davis, lately of Orlando, planned to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers upon becoming a free agent this weekend.

Even though King said the Nets had no intention of making a social statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver commented on the deal.

“Jason told us that his goal was to earn another contract with an NBA team,” Silver said.

“Today, I want to commend him on achieving his goal. I know everyone in the NBA family is excited for him and proud that our league fosters an inclusive and respectful environment.”

Sports world hostile to gays

As part of a sports world still perceived as hostile to homosexuality, Collins drew praise for his courage in coming out as gay by US President Barack Obama, former president Bill Clinton and many players in the NBA.

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a US pro league when he took the field for a Major League Soccer match in May, three months after revealing he was gay.

But Collins will be the first in any of the four leagues that dominate the US sports landscape – Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.

University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, a US college star in American football who announced this month he is gay, is likely to be selected in the NFL Draft later this year.

His first chance to play in the NFL would not come until an August exhibition game at the earliest, and his decision to come out immediately sparked debate on whether a gay player could really be accepted in an NFL locker room.

Collins said he agreed with Sam’s stance that he wants to be judged for his abilities on the field of play, and not by his sexuality.

“I hope, similar to what Michael said, I hope it’s about him being a football player and me being a basketball player,” Collins said.

However, he acknowledged that seeing sporting figures come out could be a boon to some who might be struggling with their own sexuality, conveying a simple message: “Never have any fear to be your true, authentic self.”

Originally posted: 6:29 am | Monday, February 24th, 2014