Jason Collins will become the first openly gay male athlete in a major North American sport when he signs a contract with the Brooklyn Nets — with a few of his former teammates, no less.
Collins recently worked out for the Nets, and since Glen Davis, whose contract was bought out by the Nets from the Orlando Magic, has reportedly chosen to go to the Los Angeles Clippers, it cleared the way for the Nets to sign Collins to a 10-day contract, according to Yahoo! Sports. Nets general manager Billy King told reporters Thursday that Collins is in shape and ready to play.
The 35-year-old veteran attracted little interest around the league after he announced last April that he is gay, but Nets head coach (and one of Collins’ former teammates) Jason Kidd expressed interest in the center in June.
With the signing, Collins will be available to play Sunday night when the Nets take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Collins played parts of seven years with the Nets between 2001 and 2008.
