NBA Rumors, Players & Teams: Gay Basketball Star Jason Collins Still Without a Team After NY Knicks Pass On Him
NBA star Jason Collins made national headlines when he came out in April, but the veteran center hasn't been able to make headlines lately. The New York Knicks became the latest team to reportedly say "no" to the veteran after sources indicated that the team considered signing him after center Tyson Chandler went down with a fractured leg but opted not to.
The 34-year-old Collins made history when he became the first modern-day athlete to come out in one of The United States' "big three" sports (football, baseball, and basketball), but NBA teams have not been interested in signing him. Whether the reasons stem from an overwhelmingly conservative base of owners in the league or because of age concerns is unclear; both have been argued and both could be possible.
Collins has not been very relevant in recent years but he still has found ways to land jobs in the league. He hopes to find work sometime during the season as teams will eventually look for injury replacements in the coming months.
The veteran NBA star will turn 35 in less than a month and is reportedly staying in shape by training in Los Angeles. According to Sports Illustrated, he has no plans to play abroad or in any other league besides the NBA.
In his article for Sports Illustrated, which was co-written with Franz Lindz, Collins openly talked about his personal journey that led to his coming out.
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," he said in April. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.