Brooklyn Nets: The Profound Impact of Pride Night and Jason Collins
Jan 25, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets former center Jason Collins was honored by the Nets on Pride Night before the game against the Miami Heat at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
This week, the Brooklyn Nets held their first Pride Night at the Barclays Center. Former Net Jason Collins was in attendance and honored during the pregame panel. Both Pride Night and Collins signify the beauty of how sports play a role in modern-day social issues.
Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets held a pregame panel titled “Spread Diversity and Inclusion, it’s the Brooklyn Way.” And who better to have in the panel than former Net Jason Collins?
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“This is great,’’ Collins told the New York Post. “It’s amazing to see the Nets do an event like this and celebrate diversity. When you think about Brooklyn you think of diversity. … It’s really cool to celebrate all the people here in the community. … I’m honored that the Nets asked for me to attend.
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Jason Collins is remembered by Nets fans for many reasons. Collins spent six-and-a-half seasons with the New Jersey Nets and was part of their two Finals runs in 2002 and 2003. However, perhaps what he is most known for by the later generation of Nets fans and many NBA fans is his status as the first active male athlete from one of the four major American professional sports to publicly come out as gay.
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Collins made the announcement in a first-person piece for the May 6, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated. In the story, Collins detailed his struggles to accept who he was when he was younger and his hesitance throughout his life to come out of the closet.
Other NBA players, coaches, and even former President Bill Clinton and then-First Lady Michelle Obama immediately voiced their support for the 13-year NBA veteran after the story was released. The extent of the impact of Collins’ letter was instantly evident, and he also further showed the importance of sports on life, culture, and society.
Jan 12, 2017; London, United Kingdom; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference before a NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Denver Nuggets at the O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sports’ Impact on Society
Sports and athletes alike have served as important influences in social issues. Following Collins’ announcement, The Guardian called Collins’ words important for LGBT acceptance “as professional sports had long been seen as the final frontier.” And Collins’ message was not the only time sports have served as the final frontier.
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We’ve seen the impact of sports on society with athletes, including Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and LeBron James speaking out about gun violence at the 2016 ESPYs; and most recently, the NBA’s adamant refusal to hold the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte because of North Carolina’s HB2 law that eliminated anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in public restrooms.
The NBA has been considerably vocal in their support of the LGBT community, and this could not be clearer through their decision to relocate the All-Star Game to New Orleans. And while Collins didn’t have a direct role in this, he set the stage for LGBT acceptance in the NBA community three years ago, when he wrote that story that completely transcended the sports community with just his voice, heard through the screen and pages of Sports Illustrated.
February 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets newly signed player Jason Collins speaks to media before playing against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Nets Pride
The Nets were the first team Collins signed with after his piece was published. Though no longer in New Jersey, the Nets welcomed him with open arms, and it was only fitting that he retire with the franchise that he began his career with and gave so much to. On February 23, 2014, he made his debut as a Brooklyn Net on the road in the Staples Center. Even on the road, there was a buzz in the Lakers crowd as Collins made his way to the scorers table in the second quarter, and Collins received an even greater ovation when he stepped foot onto the floor just moments later.
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One day, Collins will likely return to the Barclays Center for the retirement of his jersey, as his legacy is forever earmarked in New Jersey Nets history. While that day has yet to come, Collins was honored with a rainbow-lettered jersey before Wednesday’s game, and he was praised even more by a Nets official, who looked up to Collins as a hero because of her own relatable experiences.
Ahead of Pride Night, Elisa Padilla, the chief marketing officer of the Nets, came out in a personal essay for The Advocate, in which she called Collins a “true role model” and she was “honored to stand with him” on such a historic night. There were no two better individuals who identified more with Pride Night on Wednesday than Padilla and Collins.
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Collins has forever left a legacy in Nets franchise history for his role as a player and as a heroic individual who wasn’t afraid to “start the conversation.” So 50 years from now, when history books, biographies, and encyclopedias detail homosexuality in sports, Collins will no doubt find his place in history. And we can all say we lived in a time where the Nets, the NBA, and the sports world embraced an ideology that no one should be discriminated based on their race, gender, nationality, or sexuality.
Love is love, and Nets fans love and appreciate Collins for all he has done for the franchise and the even greater, long-lasting impact he’ll have in the sports world. Let us continue to embrace life in all the colors of the rainbow.
