jason_collins_reactions

The details are gut-wrenching

Jason Collins’ return to the NBA hasn’t been celebrated as much as its been analyzed and placed in context. After a short stint with the Boston Celtics last season, Jason Collins found himself a free-agent, and despite not signing a deal by opening day with an NBA team, played a significant amount of minutes this past Sunday in his first game back in the nab after announcing to Sports Illustrated, and subsequently the world, that he was a gay man.

Collins made history by becoming the first professional athlete to play in an official game among the four major North American sports–Michael Sam will most likely follow in Collins’ footsteps–the real historical context of Collins’ NBA stint was highlighted by the story behind the number he wears on the court (98).

Matthew Shepard, a former undergraduate student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally tortured and eventually slain in October of 1998, and multiple testimonies from his trial alluded to the fact that the murder was a hate crime–sources testified that Shepard was only targeted because he was gay.

Shepard’s parents drove over four hours from Wyoming to Denver to catch the Nuggets’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets last night, and after the Nets emerged from the hostile arena victorious, Collins’ sought out Shepard’s parents and presented them with an authentic replica of his official jersey, in a moment they’ll never forget.

 

February 28, 2014  
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