With the Nets season officially in the books, it’s time to look back at the year that was. We’ll look back at a different player each weekday, before wrapping up with the coaching staff and front office. Next up: Jason Collins.
Regular season stats: Averaged 1.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.4 steals per game. Shot 45.8 percent from the field, 0 percent from 3-point range, 75.0 percent from the foul line in 7.8 minutes per game over 22 games (one start).
Playoff stats: Did not appear in any of the Nets’ 12 playoff games.
Contractual status: Unrestricted free agent for the 2014-15 season.
Season Recap
After coming out as gay in an article in Sports Illustrated last spring, Collins entered the season without a job and without any clear prospects of when – or if – he would latch onto an NBA roster. After a 12-year career typified by hard-nosed defense and bone-crushing screens, Collins was about to turn 35 years old and faced his career simply coming to an end.
But after the Nets sent Jason Terry and Reggie Evans to Sacramento for Marcus Thornton at the trade deadline, they were in need of a big man to fill out their roster and had two men in mind: Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Collins. The Nets pursued Davis, the much younger and more talented of the duo, first, and pursued him hard, but he joined the Clippers.
That paved the way for Collins — who had played with Nets coach Jason Kidd for several years in New Jersey, including starting on back-to-back NBA Finals teams — to make history by signing with the Nets on the morning of Feb. 23. He made his debut a few hours later when the Nets faced the Lakers inside Staples Center, just a short drive away from his home.
The media throng that met Collins rivaled that of an NBA Finals press conference or a rock-star appearance. But Collins handled himself perfectly, turning all the focus back to the game and to his teammates, something he would continue to do all season.
“I think I will always do what I feel is comfortable,” Collins later said, “and for me it has always been about the team and being a good teammate.”
Collins had a minimal impact on the court, filling in with a few minutes here and there – particularly when Kevin Garnett missed much of March and April with back spasms – but wound up being a spectator for the team’s playoff run.
Outlook for next season
Collins, who turned 35 in December, kept his options open about his future when he met with reporters as the Nets cleaned out their lockers last week. But, reading between the lines, he sounded like someone who was ready to move on to bigger things after his eventful year in the spotlight (even landing on Time Magazine’s annual Top 100 Most Influential People list).
“My goal right now is to empower others and also support those who like Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, and over the next months, couple of years, whoever else joins that list of out active players,” said Collins, who added he was looking forward to spending time with friends and family before making a firm decision on his future.
He also said he plans to continue work with several support groups, including GLSEN and the You Can Play Project.
Whether or not Collins chooses to return to basketball, his impact on the sport – and American society in general – won’t be forgotten anytime soon. But if you wondered why the Nets pursued Collins in the first place, Kidd – his longtime friend and a fierce proponent of bringing him to the team – summed it up best.
“It was the right thing to do,” he said.
Tomorrow: Kevin Garnett