Retireing Jason Collins leaves indelible mark on NBA

November 19th, 2014
by Dakota Antelman

Jason Collins played over 700  games in the NBA before he published a first person narrative in Sports Illustrated that revealed him as the first openly gay player in one of the “Big Four” American sports. After the groundbreaking article, Collins made it into 22 official NBA games.

Collins had played 12 seasons in the NBA when he came out in May of 2013. He had suited up for five different teams, started an NBA Finals game and, by virtue of over 2,000 personal fouls, carved out a reputation as being one of the NBA’s most physical defenders.

Though playing small minutes, Collins was often inserted into games by coaches when the team needed a stop on defense or they needed a big body to dominate the paint. He was respected by coaches and players alike wherever he went.

In coming out, he awarded the NBA and the greater sports world the opportunity to understand the pain that many of the discipline’s closeted members feel.

“No one wants to live in fear,” Collins said in his coming out article. “I've always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don't sleep well. I never have. But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew.”

Collins tore off the veil that can often be cast over gay men; especially those who play sports. He told the world that, though painful, a player can quietly hide their sexuality for years. In doing so he stressed the need for the sports world to accept these players and create an environment where coming out will not affect their participation or acceptance in a team.

Furthermore, he gave context and real world prof that disproved the long entrenched myth that gay males are always unmasculine. He, a hard hitting, seven foot tall, deep voiced, muscular basketball player was gay in every sense despite not conforming to pretty much all of society’s stigmas about homosexual mannerisms.

“I don't let my race define me any more than I want my sexual orientation to. I don't want to be labeled, and I can't let someone else's label define me,” Collins wrote after an anecdote about a visit he paid to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C.

“I go against the gay stereotype, which is why I think a lot of players will be shocked: That guy is gay? But I've always been an aggressive player, even in high school. Am I so physical to prove that being gay doesn't make you soft? Who knows…?” He later questioned.

But as much as Collins made certain about himself and his past experiences, he did not try to hide the uncertainty he had in regards to guessing how the NBA would react to his announcement. On that day, there had never been a player who had been out while still playing.

Would he be heckled?

Would his teammates refuse to be in the locker room with him?

Would he even make a team (when he came out Collins was a free agent)?

At the time, the answers to those questions were blank; but without Collins’ announcement, they would have stayed that way for many more years. He forced the NBA to make a decision and whether it was ready or not he made the world aware of his cause.

It took several months but late last season the message got across and Collins made history. He signed a 10 day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. On February 23^rd, 2014, he became the first openly gay player to participate in a regulation Big Four game.

Collins was greeted with a standing ovation by the LA Lakers crowd present for his debut and responded by playing 11 minutes and logging five fouls.

When he returned home to Brooklyn later that week, he was greeted with cheers of his name and resounding walls of supportive noise.

"It was cool," Collins said of the support. "It was a lot of fun going into the game, but the most important thing was that we got the win."

The fans cheered, the owners finally signed him. Jason Collins proved to himself, the NBA and fans of sports across the country that not only do gay players exist but that they can also excel in the most physical of roles.

 When he announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon (once again to Sports Illustrated) we as fans of these sports were allowed to step back and look at all that he has done. Though he played just over 20 minutes per game and though only what was done in his last 22 games will be what will have him remembered for generations, it was what Jason Collins did over the course of the entirety of his career that has changed the sports forever.