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Kobe on Collins: ‘It sets an incredible precedent’



Jason Collins broke an incredible barrier on Sunday, becoming the first openly gay athlete in one of the United States' four major professional sports when he checked in for the Nets.


It was a big moment not just for the NBA, but in sports history.


It came against the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant was obviously on hand to observe it all. And he definitely recognized the impact. Via Yahoo Sports:



“His impact [Sunday night] is greater than what people think,” Bryant told Yahoo Sports before the game. “You look at it from the context of having the first openly gay player. But they missed the domino effect that it has way beyond sports.”


[…]



“It's fantastic. It sets an incredible precedent,” said Bryant, who is currently out of the Lakers' lineup indefinitely with a knee injury. “I think the most important part about it, what I've learned on the issue is that one person coming out is showing this type of courage that gives others that same type of courage.



“It's dealing with a lot of issues for kids who are afraid to be themselves. Afraid to be themselves because of the peer pressure that comes with it. A lot of these kids have depression issues or they're being teased from other kids for being different. You wind up seeing a lot of suicides, kids injuring themselves and getting hooked on things that they should not be hooked on.”



No denying Kobe's support is impressive and encouraging. But you also can't ignore the elephant in the room here. In 2011, Kobe was fined $100,000 for using a homophopic slur directed at a referee. However, here's what Kobe said then: "What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone."


Based on Kobe's passionate comments in support of Collins, his story checks out. And moreover, it sounds like maybe Kobe himself learned a lot from that incident in 2011.


As for Collins, he didn't play all that well in his 11 minutes on the floor Sunday, picking up five fouls while looking a bit slow and rusty. But who cares. Like Kobe said, it was bigger than that.



Topics: Kobe Bryant, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA


Basketball Hot News


Reactions from around sports world to Jason Collins playing as gay man


Jeremy Lin‘s reaction above to Jason Collins signing then playing with the Brooklyn Nets — becoming the first openly gay player in America’s four major sports — is pretty much the norm. They are happy to see the barrier broken and done for basketball reasons.


NBA players are younger than the average American and if you look at polling on gay marriage or a host of other gay-rights issues, most younger people — regardless of if they are in a red or blue state — are far more “live and let live” than older generations. Their world view is far more libertarian on social issues. Not shockingly, most NBA players aren’t really concerned if there is a gay man on their team so long as he can play and help the squad. It’s more nuanced than that, but most players are fine with the idea.


You saw that in the reactions of players such as Kobe Bryant — which we brought you before — and others around the world of sports.











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