Even though he may indirectly owe Michael Sam a debt of gratitude, Jason Collins still beat him to the punch.
Hours after signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets, the 35-year-old Collins became the first gay player to compete in a game in one of the four major sports in the U.S. on Sunday.
Collins played 10 minutes, finished with two rebounds a steal and five fouls, and he missed his only shot during the Nets' 108-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The New York Times called Collins' signing "a significant step toward transforming North American professional sports into a more welcoming environment for gay athletes.
"The very act of Collins's suiting up and stepping onto the court - he entered the game to warm applause in the second quarter - represented a milestone in the effort to change a sports culture that some feel has lagged far behind society at large in acceptance of gay people."
The report said Collins awoke to text messages from his agent and Nets coach Jason Kidd - who was a former teammate of Collins' - alerting him that he had been signed and was making history. Not that Collins was wrapped up in the significance of the moment. "Right now, I'm focused on trying to learn the plays, the game plan assignment," Collins, sitting at a lectern, said less than an hour before the game Sunday night, the Times reported. "I don't have time to really think about history right now." Collins, who split time with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, revealed to Sports Illustrated last April that he was gay. The regular season, however, was over and Collins' revelation came without an opportunity to return to the environment of the locker room. He was a free agent who did not receive any offers during the 2013-14 training camp. To his credit, Collins eschewed playing overseas or other avenues, preferring to stay in shape and be ready in case an NBA team called. It looked as if Collins' gamble wasn't going to pay off until Sam, defensive end from Missouri and the SEC Player of the Year, announced he was gay in advance of the NFL combine. Sam's announcement indirectly brought Collins' name back to the forefront. "And I hope that, similar to what Michael said, it's about him being a football player and me being a basketball player and trying our respective teams win," Collins said, according to the Washington Post.
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