It has nothing to do with game shape. He's not a good player. He hasn't been a good player for a long time (that's assuming he ever was in the first place.) His most productive season was back in 04-05 when he averaged 6 points and 6 rebounds. That was a long, long time ago. This has nothing to do with second wind. I think the only reason why he came out in the first place was because he figured his career was over. This has been done before by John Amaechi, and other pro athletes who were in retirement. I think what Jason Collins did took much less courage than what Michael Sam has done. He came out before he was even drafted. He has taken a much bigger risk with his career, which took much more courage than someone coming out of the closet after their career is, for all intents and purposes, pretty much finished. I hope Sam is drafted. I hope he makes it on a team. I hope he has a productive career, because what he did was truly courageous.
What Collins does well at this stage in his career can't be measured in a box score. He was very effective in his first game back. Set screens, took charges, played good defense and was a +8. Is he starter level? No. But he was exactly what you want out of a backup center for 10 minutes. Also, Collins said he intended to keep playing when he came out in SI last year. It's different than John Amaechi.
A PER of -12 and 5 fouls in 11 minutes isn't good, no matter how you try to spin it. Can we stop talking about this guy now? The novelty is over, and guess what, he's still a terrible basketball player. If LeBron James came out as gay, he'd still be the best player in the league.
Intending to keep playing and realizing that your career is basically over are not mutually exclusive. I can intend to try out for the Portland Trail Blazers but that doesn't mean I'm going to make the team. There's a reason why it took this long for him to get a contract, and I highly doubt it has anything to do with him being gay. Eric, it's obvious that he's not a good player anymore. He was a respectable big man at one point. The stats prove that. He's not a young guy anymore. His ability has left him. You don't think Joel Przybilla could still set a screen or take a charge at this juncture? There's a reason why he isn't in the NBA anymore. There's probably thousands of big guys that could do those things, but it takes more than that to be an NBA quality big man. You don't think it's an interesting coincidence that Collins gets a contract at the same time that Michael Sam is going through the draft combine for the NFL?
I already said that what he did can't be measured by PER, but yes, since you can't acknowledge that, we can stop talking about him now.
bottom line is the guy cant play. when he was on that nets team that went to the finals with Jason kid. he was out there to FOUL Shaq. move on. non story. non topic.`
Maybe Sam just shuts the fuck up if it was not for Collins paving the way or others coming out after their career is over. Then again maybe he would have, but do not discredit Collins because he was never a great basketball player. He was a good defender, teammate and role player and for the Nets that was enough to bring him back.
Exactly, he never was an all star and won't be now. He's a role player, he knows it, the team knows it.
I bet Collins will get a nice ovation from the Blazer fans when he enters the game. Perhaps what will change the culture of hiding one's homosexuality in professional sports will be the reception of the people in the seats. Sure, they'll be some a-holes, but the vast majority of people are good and decent who just want people to be who they are. If I was at the game tonight, I know I'd cheer when he entered the game...not because he's openly gay, but because I knew we're about to go on a huge run. Gay or straight, he's fucking terrible.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/25/us/jason-collins-jersey/ Jason Collins' No. 98 Nets jersey the top-seller on NBA.com (CNN) -- Last week, Jason Collins wasn't even on an NBA team. In two weeks, he might not be on one. But for now, Collins -- the first openly gay, active player in the United States' four big sports leagues -- is, by jersey sales, the NBA's most popular player. NBA Senior Vice President Vicky Picca said Tuesday that Collins' No. 98 Brooklyn Nets uniform is the top-seller on NBA.com, besting the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin. The interest is coming from the fans Collins has earned since announcing last year, when he was still unemployed, that he was gay. "Jason Collins' return to the league represents a historic moment, and fans continue to show their support by (buying) Jason's jersey," said Picca. Not bad for a player who, just last week, inked a 10-day contract with the Nets. And the Stanford graduate hardly dominated in his lone game back on the court, going scoreless while compiling two rebounds and five personal fouls in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, Collins had never been a headline player. A journeyman with stops with New Jersey, Memphis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston and Washington, he's known more for his defensive prowess and rebounding than his offensive output, having averaged 3.6 points per game over his 12-year career. The warm reception he received during and after that game from his teammates, competitors like Kobe Bryant and league officials reflects more on Collins' reputation as a player and person around the league, as well as his historic announcement.
If we just ignored everyone who was terrible you would spend the rest of your life chatting to yourself.
Collins isn't the first player to come out when their career was essentially over. How am I discrediting Collins at all? I'm saying he was a good player at one time, but that time has passed. He's no longer an NBA caliber player. He was a good defender, teammate and role player for the Nets.... almost ten years ago. His last year in NJ was 06-07. I think it's great that he came out. I think it's great for him that he got another gig and was able to be the first openly gay pro athlete, but I still think it was a publicity stunt by the NBA to beat the NFL, and I think it diminished the courageous risk that Michael Sam took by coming out before he was even drafted.
The absurdity was the point, but whatever. I fully expect Jason Collins to get a big ovation tonight at Moda Center, too, and I'd applaud him as well. Then, I'd sit and watch his crappy play, which hopefully will help the Blazers win.
It may (or may not have been) have been a PR stunt by the NBA, but they aren't the ones buying the Collins jerseys. I think this is great. Doesn't matter if Collins is a scrub, doesn't matter if it was a PR stunt, the fans are voting with their wallets and I think it's great that they are showing such strong support for Jason Collins. I look forward to the day where an athlete's sexual preference is no longer news. This is a stepping stone to that day. Concerning the whole PR stunt angle, I'm just not seeing it. Perhaps if they had signed Collins and weren't going to play him, maybe. But they are in the thick of a playoff race, currently 3 games behind Chicago for the 4th seed and only 1 game ahead of Atlanta for the 8th seed. Do you think they'd really risk their playoff seeding to sell some jerseys? Even staying at the 6th seed would be HUGE for them. Nobody wants to be the 7th or 8th seed in the East and have to face IND or MIA in the first round. Any other opponent is beatable, those two are not. BNM
