While doing research for another column here at Dime, I had a sudden thought out of the blue: “Has Jason Collins signed with anyone?” This was Tuesday Morning on October 22, 2013. A quick online search proved that he hadn’t. (Eds. note: And still hasn’t.) I was angry but went back to work. I resolved to write a very cranky column about Collins not being on a roster. Then I hit Google. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had wondered why not a single NBA team had invited Collins to try out.
Then I read the excuses. I went from angry to apoplectic.
Full disclosure: I’m not gay – not that you care – though my heterosexual disclosure won’t prevent some morons from using derogatory slurs about me before, after, or during this article. So I have no personal stake in this. What I do have is a TREMENDOUS problem with people being picked on because they are gay or somehow different. As should you.
So let’s start with the notion that what’s really keeping Collins away from a job in the league is his play rather than anything else. Some have contended cold-blooded executives who want to win aren’t going out of their way to make room for a limited person on their bench. There is, of course, merit to that. I’m sure that’s what sources across the league are telling him. NBA executives can make an argument with a straight face that the Collins issue is about on-court performance rather than off-court matter. They can say they want every player they sign to be compete at the highest level.
But the facts suggest otherwise.
Juwan Howard just retired from the Heat’s active roster this year. For the past several seasons, I had an equal shot of getting into a Miami game as Howard did. As for value in practice, Howard is certainly worth more than both you and I combined. Literally, one of us would probably have to stand on the other’s shoulders. But that’s not the argument and, if it were, no one is going to doubt that Collins would come into practice like a professional, work hard and be a good teammate.
Howard couldn’t play meaningful minutes and wasn’t asked to. Yet he was still on the bench. Think he’s the exception? Herb Williams was on the Knicks bench for years without ever playing more than a minute at a time. Adam Morrison got two rings, TWO, with the Lakers. And let us all remember the glory that was Will Perdue. Honestly, comparing Collins to Perdue seems almost mean (to Collins), but it proves the point that a good character veteran with a big body and with the ability to play solid, low-post defense, is out there; there’s always room on the pine for them in the Association.
Until now.
So that disqualifies the first argument. The second excuse to Collins’ continued free agency and which seemingly has more integrity to it than the first, is the [Tim] Tebow Argument. It’s included in the pull-quotes from the mentioned ProBasketballTalk article, specifically the Ric Bucher quote regarding the possibility of Collins becoming a distraction. It’s also nonsense.
Tim Tebow was a superstar college player with a sycophantic following who demanded he play the most difficult and glamorous position in football regardless of who else was on the team. There was a hint of ecclesiastical frothing of the mouth, too. Collins isn’t that. Collins fans are not going to be easy marks for cable sports channels looking to juice ratings by mentioning his name. After coverage when Collins initially signs, the media will go away. As for Collins’ fans? The most they’ll do is probably come and hold signs in support of him. That’s it. So, as was put very well at Slate, that argument is also ridiculous.
The next is the cap argument. As a veteran, under a new and complicated CBA, which you can peruse here, Collins is more expensive than a rookie free agent. Collins would command roughly $1.4 million this year. This was a factor that his agent discussed with the New York Times‘ Harvey Araton earlier this month.
So under the guise of slavish devotion to the cap gods, teams are avoiding Collins because he’ll cost them too much cap room. Here is a list of players making roughly what Collins would. You’re honestly telling me that you think most of the people on that list are dramatically better than Collins? Really? Furthermore, Collins has the capacity to make a franchise some money. The good publicity, further interest from LGTB groups, and increased ticket and jersey sales that Collins would generate might make his $1.4 million a wash. Unless that is, you think Hasheem Thabeet and Kurt Thomas are a threat to augment jersey sales for a market that’s just waiting to explode.
I have a different view. I think it’s “The Chris Kluwe Factor.” For those of you who aren’t aware of Kluwe, the former Minnesota Vikings punter became an internet sensation for publishing a letter on Deadspin castigating a Maryland member of the legislator for attempting to get Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti to inhibit his players from publicly supporting same-sex marriage.
Kluwe is now out of the NFL and, again, it’s blamed on performance issues. Again, take a look at the current NFL punting stats and Kluwe’s stats and you’ll see someone who should be on the speed dial of a few teams if he isn’t already.
We don’t know if Jason Collins would have a job in the NBA today had he stayed in the closet as he had for his first 12 years in the league. What we do know is this: Stars that commit crimes or test positive for drugs, have “issues” that teams need to deal with. Bench guys who inherit “causes” — regardless of whether they chose them — get cut.
What do you think?
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