Jason Collins spoke on the drafting of Michael Sam Saturday. (USATSI)
Nets center Jason Collins commented on the drafting of Michael Sam by the St. Louis Rams Saturday before Game 3 between the Heat and Nets. Collins became the first openly gay male professional athlete this year when he was signed by Brooklyn after coming out last summer. SNY transcribed his interview on ESPN:
“This is a great day for the NFL and for Michael Sam and his family,” Collins said on Saturday.
“I'm looking forward to seeing him progress throughout his career and obviously, he went to the University of Missouri and he is staying close,” Collins said in reference to the fact that Sam was selected by St. Louis.
“I remember being drafted on draft day,” Collins recalled. “Not knowing when your name is gonna be called, when the phone is gonna ring. I was thinking back to 2001 when I got drafted… It's a lot of nervous energy and just a lot of time waiting to see what happens,” he said.
“It takes more and more people just to come forward and show that we are normal people,” Collins said. “We are just trying to make plays to help our respective teams win and like I said before, this is a great day for the NFL and for Michael Sam and his family.”
via Jason Collins on Michael Sam being drafting into NFL | SNY Nets.
Collins has yet to play in a playoff game for Brooklyn after appearing in 22 games for the Nets this year.
HT: NetsDaily
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Reports: Warriors think Kerr goes to New York, Knicks willing to pay $30 million to make that happen
More and more, it loos like next week Steve Kerr will announce he will be the next coach of New York Knicks.
Even the Golden State Warriors, who have gone after Kerr for their vacant head coaching position, feel that way, reports ESPN.
The Golden State Warriors are increasingly pessimistic about their chances of convincing Steve Kerr to turn down the New York Knicks in favor of Golden State’s coaching job, according to sources close to the process.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Warriors fear Kerr is “too deep” in talks with the Knicks and new shot-caller Phil Jackson to convince Kerr to rebuff Jackson now, despite Kerr’s close relationship with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and team president Rick Welts, as well as Golden State’s proximity to Kerr’s offseason home in San Diego.
There’s also the money factor.
If the Knicks are going to get Kerr to move across the country and take over coaching a team not nearly as close to contending as Golden State’s, they are going to have to pay. Actually, they have to overpay.
Kerr’s agent is asking for five years, $30 million, reports Marc Berman at the New York Post. That should get it done.
Kerr’s agent is Mike Tannenbaum, the former Jets general manager. It is believed Tannenbaum is seeking a five-year deal for Kerr, the same length as (team president Phil) Jackson’s.
It is also believed Kerr is seeking a similar financial deal as Mike D’Antoni had when he inked a four-year, $24 million pact with the Knicks in 2008.
Where does that leave the Warriors? Likely with Stan Van Gundy, according to multiple reports.
Kerr is expected to announce his decision early next week. Whatever he decides he will stay on as an analyst with TNT through the end of the Western Conference Finals.
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