Jason Collins both basketball player and advocate

Jason Collins has said he just wants to play basketball.  "I love basketball, " he told Sarah Kustok. "Basketball is fun."

increasingly, as the media interest in his signing winds down, that's what it's all about. Although he's playing only eight minutes a game, he's contributing: pushing and shoving on defense and setting picks on offense.  Tonight in Boston, with Kevin Garnett out again, he'll likely get more minutes helping out Mason Plumlee and Andray Blatche ... after answering questions from writers in Boston, where played last year --and famously marched in the city's Gay Pride parade last June next to his Stanford roommate, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy, D-MA.

Indeed, no one should expect that he will stop his human rights activism. On Thursday, he tweeted out encouragement to advocates of same-sex marriage in Oregon.

A couple weeks ago I spoke for marriage equality in Oregon. Glad to extend my hand across the aisle w/ @FreedomOregon http://t.co/z3NlSmvjYJ

— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins34) March 6, 2014

It appeared to be his first direct advocacy via Twitter since he signed. He had tweeted out a picture of him with the parents of Matthew Shepard after they met in Denver last week

I'm so fortunate to have met Matthew Shepard's parents and brother tonight after @BrooklynNets win tonight in Denver pic.twitter.com/PL6k4TvDsW

— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins34) February 28, 2014

And retweeted news from WeAre(GayPropaganda) noting the Dalai Lama's position on gay rights.

Enlightenment is #GayPropaganda >>>> @DalaiLama approves of same sex marriage, not bullying and homophobia. http://t.co/hXNrAdQ9Ro

— (WeAre)GayPropaganda (@GayPropaganda) March 2, 2014

He's also retweeted a number of President Obama's tweets on health care and community activism. Not a surprise, considering he was the First Lady's guest at the State of the Union and the President and Mrs. Obama's guest a state dinner for French President Hollande. Chelsea Clinton, who was at Stanford with him, attended the Nets-Bulls game, which she tweeted about and he retweeted.

Even The Onion got in on it, suggesting in its sarcastic way, that his teammates see him only as a "terrible basketball player."

And no one cared, which of course is the point.  Tolerance is the acceptance of diversity, whether in culture, politics, religion, race, sexuality, etc.

There's been some comparison, which is natural, between Collins and Jackie Robinson who broke baseball's color line some 15 blocks south of Barclays Center.  Robinson and Collins couldn't be different.  Robinson arrived on the scene a superstar in the making, Collins a veteran with limited skills near the end of his career.  But both did what they did best in a quiet manner, emphasizing their athletic skills, as if to prove that there's nothing that different between them and their teammates. They did not shy away from activism or advocacy, either.  And that's what we as fans should expect and accept from Collins.  it's who he is.

• Jason Collins Isn't Trying To Be The Next Jackie Robinson Because He's The First Jason Collins - Chris Greenberg - Huffington Post
• In NBA, Jason Collins now just another player - Bruce Jenkins - San Francisco Chronicle
• Jason Collins says attention is dying down - Gary Washburn - Boston Globe
• Jason Collins earned return to NBA - Steve Buckley - Boston Herald
• Jason Collins’ story turns from whirlwind of pioneering gay athlete to just hoops in short order - Mitch Abramson - New York Daily News