The clock is ticking on Jason Collins.
And the entire gay community.
Collins who revealed in a first-person narrative to Sports Illustrated in April that he is gay, remains an unsigned free agent. NBA teams officially can sign free agents on Wednesday, but Collins won't appear on anyone's roster.
The 34-year-old Collins, who played 38 games during the 2012-13 season as he split time between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, told The New York Times his is remaining patient and approaching this offseason like any other - with hope that he'll sign with an NBA team.
But when he disclosed his sexual preference, he became a representative of the gay community and now is under the microscope as he looks to continue his NBA career.
"It would be a disappointment," Jim Buzinski, a co-founder of Outsports, a website devoted to gays and sports, said to the New York Times, "because we're all waiting for it, to see him on the court, to go up against LeBron or Kobe or pick your favorite NBA superstar. He's done it before as a closeted man. We want to see him do it as an openly gay man."
If Collins is unable to sign with a team, Buzinski added, his status as the first active male athlete to come out would fall away - "like a wedding that's canceled at the last minute."
The significance of Collins' situation is not lost on his agent.
"Obviously, I feel the pressure to do my very best for him, which I always do," agent Arn Tellem said to the newspaper. "But even more so now."
Tellem, who represents Jason and his twin brother, Jarron, said he was "cautiously optimistic" that Jason Collins would be on a roster on opening night next season.
Buzinski said he thought signing Collins would provide a great marketing opportunity for any team but added, "I don't think anyone will sign him simply because he is gay."
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