The Latest on Jason Collins

YankeeFan · Jul 9, 2013

Howard Beck of the Times checks in. Does he find a job?

The market for aging, modestly skilled centers is not exactly robust in the National Basketball Association. That was true more than two months ago, when Jason Collins was celebrated as the first openly gay male athlete still active in a major American team sport. And it is true now.

It was at the end of April that Collins, his season with the Washington Wizards having ended, first disclosed that he was gay, seemingly shattering a barrier in professional sports.

Now, a week into the N.B.A.’s summer signing period, he remains without a new team, and it could be weeks or even several months before he knows what his future holds. As he waits, he finds himself in a historic position as the first openly gay free agent seeking another contract. It is a moment being watched closely for its perceived sociological significance, although Collins himself is determined to keep his focus on basketball.

“I look at it, honestly, like any other free agency in the past several years, where I know I have to stay patient,” said the 34-year-old Collins, who played in only 38 games last season, averaging 10 minutes a game as a defensive-minded center for Boston and later Washington. “And I know that at this point in my career, you remain hopeful that there’s a job and an opportunity waiting for you once teams start to fill out their rosters.”

Actually, as free agency went into effect on July 1, Collins found himself engaged in the same obsessive pastime as nearly every other N.B.A. player, coach, executive and fan: wondering what Dwight Howard would do.

Howard, a notoriously indecisive star, was weighing offers from five teams in an anxiety-inducing drama that stifled the free-agent market for days and kept lower-tier players like Collins waiting for Howard to make up his mind.

“Just like the whole country,” Collins, chuckling, said in a telephone interview late last week.

A short time later, Howard announced his intention to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign with the Houston Rockets, jolting the rest of the market to life and sowing the seeds for whatever may eventually come Collins’s way.

Unlike Howard, Collins is not a superstar. Nor, at this stage of his career, is he even a coveted rotation player. His age works against him. He has not been a full-time starter in six years. His skills, modest even at his peak, are in decline. Indeed, his prospects were uneven before he disclosed his sexuality in a cover story in Sports Illustrated.

So neither Collins nor his longtime agent, Arn Tellem, know what to expect this summer.

Despite his limitations on the court, Collins is widely respected for his intelligence, loyalty and strong work ethic, which are accompanied by a wicked sense of humor. Those traits make him the sort of prototypical locker-room leader that teams often seek in a 14th or 15th man. Such players practice hard, dispense wisdom to younger teammates and help keep everyone on track. In a pinch, they can contribute on the court.

These lower-tier spots on a roster are generally are not filled until late July or August, after the superstars, the second-tier stars and the top role players have all found new homes. Collins knows the drill well. Boston did not sign him until July 31 last year. In 2009, it took until Sept. 2 before the Atlanta Hawks gave him a one-year deal.

Regardless, Tellem said he was “cautiously optimistic” that Collins would be on a roster by opening night. Tellem has represented both Jason and his twin brother, Jarron, since the two entered the league in 2001, and they all refer to each other as family.

“Obviously, I feel the pressure to do my very best for him, which I always do,” Tellem said. “But even more so now.”

nyti.ms/1bkon15
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YankeeFan · Jul 9, 2013

His former fiance speaks with Cosmo:

A MONTH BEFORE I was set to marry the man I loved, he called off the wedding. I had no idea why. He and I had been together for eight years. We had planned to have children, build a family. Nearly four years later, I got my answer. My former fiancé, Jason Collins, a pro basketball player with the Washington Wizards, announced last spring in Sports Illustrated that he is gay.

Jason told me he's gay over the phone on a Monday morning in April, the same day the magazine hit newsstands. However, he didn't mention the article—that came as a surprise when I heard about it from a friend. In his essay, Jason wrote that he'd once been engaged to a woman. Reporters zoomed in on me, thrusting my name into the news. My in-box exploded with e-mails from women saying the same thing had happened to them. I'm sharing what I've learned from my experience in hopes that it might help others.

...

The phone call this April ended the mystery. He left a message on a Sunday, saying, "I have something important to talk about—please call me back." I was working and called the next morning. He uttered an eerily familiar phrase: "You may want to sit down." Then he said, "Carolyn, I'm gay." I was stunned. I managed to say, after a silent moment and then a deep breath, "I had no idea. I'm sure a huge weight is off your shoulders." During all the years I had known him, I never would have guessed that he would come out as gay.

We talked again briefly that night. He answered a few questions, but there was much left to discuss and he said he had to go. As I tell this story, it has been several weeks since he told me his news and he has made no further time to talk, despite saying he would do so. I am sad that the media seems to be a higher priority. I hope this changes in the coming weeks, as I value open dialogue more than anything.

...

I empathize with Jason and support him. But at the same time, I remain deeply hurt by him. I wish he could have been honest with me years ago. I feel like there are two Jasons now—the man I fell in love with and the man I'm trying so hard to understand. He's being hailed as a pioneer, but I believe true heroism is a result of being honest with yourself and with those you love.

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/exclusive/jason-collins-is-my-ex-fiance
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Football_Bat · Jul 9, 2013

Jeez Louise, how about waiting for Andrew Bynum to find a gig first?

Collins is quite a bit down the list.

But you know that.

Boom_70 · Jul 9, 2013

Maybe he should be considered the "first bisexual" professional athlete.

Mizzougrad96 · Jul 9, 2013

Boom_70 said:

Maybe he should be considered the "first bisexual" professional athlete.
Click to expand...

"first openly bisexual active professional athlete"

Players of Collins' ability typically are the last to sign free agent contracts. Signing season hasn't even officially begun. Honestly, this isn't a story unless we reach October and he's still unsigned.

I think it would be a pretty big surprise if he's signed within the next 30 days.

Boom_70 · Jul 9, 2013

Mizzougrad96 said:

Boom_70 said:

Maybe he should be considered the "first bisexual" professional athlete.
Click to expand...

"first openly bisexual active professional athlete"

Players of Collins' ability typically are the last to sign free agent contracts. Signing season hasn't even officially begun. Honestly, this isn't a story unless we reach October and he's still unsigned.

I think it would be a pretty big surprise if he's signed within the next 30 days.
Click to expand...

Adding "openly" makes sense.

Seems like he would be a perfect signing for The Nets in the quest to take over
NY.

deskslave · Jul 9, 2013

I know you don't consider copying and pasting someone else's copyrighted journalism to be disrespectful, but what you have in your first post there goes well beyond any presentation of a sample of the work.

Not to mention that you fail to adhere to the board rule that states that you should offer some opinion of your own.

Boom_70 · Jul 9, 2013

After reading the link to Cosmo article I just don't see how Collins should be
celebrated or become a sympathetic figure. I mean the guy spent 8 years with
this poor girl and essentially lead her on and used her as an elaborate cover.

He's ruined her life and that of her family and friends. Surprised that woman's
groups are not all over this.

YankeeFan · Jul 9, 2013

Boom_70 said:

After reading the link to Cosmo article I just don't see how Collins should be
celebrated or become a sympathetic figure. I mean the guy spent 8 years with
this poor girl and essentially lead her on and used her as an elaborate cover.

He's ruined her life and that of her family and friends. Surprised that woman's
groups are not all over this.
Click to expand...

I do find it odd that given how planned out this story was, he didn't even tell the ex that an article was coming out the same day.

He had Casey Wasserman help arrange for a Presidential statement of support, but couldn't give her a heads up that she was about to face an avalanche of attention?

Armchair_QB · Jul 9, 2013

Mizzougrad96 said:

Boom_70 said:

Maybe he should be considered the "first bisexual" professional athlete.
Click to expand...

"first openly bisexual active professional athlete"

Players of Collins' ability typically are the last to sign free agent contracts. Signing season hasn't even officially begun. Honestly, this isn't a story unless we reach October and he's still unsigned.

I think it would be a pretty big surprise if he's signed within the next 30 days.
Click to expand...

Is it even a legitimate story if he's unsigned in October?

LongTimeListener · Jul 9, 2013

If I'm a Rockets regular-season or potential playoff opponent, I sign him as 12th man not because of the publicity (although that would be a PR boon) but because he can use six fouls on Dwight Howard and ruin Houston's offense. He's good at playing hard and hacking.

clintrichardson · Jul 9, 2013

David Stern reportedly runs his league with a heavy hand, and I imagine that he would not want the NBA to be perceived as shutting out the first openly gay team athlete, however fair or unfair that perception might be. I suspect Arn Tellem is not the only one making phone calls to attempt to assure that Collins signs somewhere this season.

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