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With a little more two minutes left and the Nets in control of the game, Jason Collins started taking off his warm-ups and the crowd, which had already been chanting "Ja-son Collins," began to rise to offer the NBA's first openly gay player a standing ovation.
Collins didn't do much, forcing the final steal of the game, missing (badly) on a shot and committing a foul (within three seconds), but that was enough. Brooklyn, which had welcomed the first black player to Major League Baseball in April 1947, was once again in the forefront of a human rights issue.
Jason Collins said after the game that he appreciated the fan response and his brother, at the game, tweeted out his feelings.
Loved the ovation my brother received from the @BrooklynNets faithful fans. Terrific evening of basketball. #thankyou #quickFoul @NBA
— jarron collins (@jarronctwin) March 4, 2014
Later, Jarron Collins' wife, Elsa, tweeted out a picture of the family enjoying a celebratory dinner.
Dinner late night in NYC celebrating the win @jasoncollins34 @BrooklynNets @jarronctwin #SpottedPig pic.twitter.com/VyfbIoGvwf
— Elsa Collins (@elsacollins) March 4, 2014
Among those in attendance were former NBA commissioner David Stern and Collins friend, Chelsea Clinton, a fellow Stanford grad.
Just before the game ESPN and Yahoo! Sports reported that Collins will be re-signed to another 10-day contract when his first 10-day is up on Wednesday.
ESPN:
The Brooklyn Nets will sign center Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract Wednesday, a source confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard on Monday.
Speaking with the media before Monday night's game against the Chicago Bulls, Collins said that he "didn't know anything about that." He went on to say, "I let my agent do the business side of basketball...I let (Arn Tellem) handle his job and I do my job, which is the basketball."
Jason Kidd spoke on the subject, saying "that's between management and his agent about another signing." But, he went on to say that Collins has "been great" both on and off the basketball court.
- Jason Collins Checks In To Standing Ovation, Promptly Commits Foul (Video) - The Brooklyn Game
- Report: Nets' Collins to get second 10-day deal - AP
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Jason Collins celebrates Nets debut at The Spotted Pig - Page Six - New York Post
- Brooklyn center of progress again as Nets' Jason Collins makes home debut - Filip Bondy - New York Daily News
- Jason Collins Comes Home to Barclays - Seth Berkman - New Yorker
- Brooklyn Nets to sign Jason Collins to second 10-day contract - Ohm Youngmisuk, Chris Broussard & Ramona Shelburne - ESPN
- Jason Collins to sign second 10-day contract with Nets, according to sources - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
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Nets likely to sign Collins for season - David Aldridge - NBA.com
- Fans chant Jason Collins' name in his first game at Barclays Center - Neil Best - Newsday
- Soon page will turn on Jason Collins' historic chapter - Tara Sullivan - The Record
- Nets expected to sign Collins to another 10-day contract - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Jason Collins makes home debut, and Nets beat Bulls, 96-80, to get to .500 - AP
- How The NBA Blew A Marketing Opportunity With Jason Collins - Maury Brown - Forbes
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