Jason Collins Gets Standing Ovation at First Home Game

Photo credit: ANDREW THEODORAKIS/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWSEllen DeGeneres once humorously observed, “No one gives you a cake and says, ‘Congratulations, you’re gay!’” But we’re in 21^st-century Brooklyn, not Kansas, Dorothy, and Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, pretty much got that cake in the form of a standing o as he played his first home game at the Park-Slope-adjacent Barclay’s Center as a Brooklyn Net.

Brooklyn started its friendship with the 35-year-old center cautiously, with a 10- day contract, but once the Nets had a solid victory over the Bulls while he was on the court, his contract was extended 10 more days, which customarily means he’s in for the season. So then it’s settled – we have the new Will to our Grace, except much more athletic! We’re going to drag him right over to Brooklyn Industries and get him suited up in a classic BI hoodie. Then across the street to Goorin the hat shop, for a must-have straw fedora, to get his Brooklyn dandy on. You know, now that we’re shopping for Jason, we realize that with all the cutesie boutiques on 5^th ave for girls, the neighborhood is woefully short on places to buy clothes for 7-foot-tall handsome gay basketball players. Somebody – get on that!

Once we have him outfitted in at least a few Brooklyn style staples, where is he going to live? When we have a gossipy sleepover with our new gay best friend, we expect his apartment to be sleek and modern, so the Richard Meier building is probably the way to go, though a brownstone on, say, 3^rd Street between 8^th and the Park, certainly has its charms, too. And don’t worry --  we don’t plan to keep Jason all to ourselves. He’s more than welcome to have his celebrity friends in the neighborhood, too. He can hang out with Patrick Stewart at Smiling Pizza and tweet selfies if he promises to eat pizza with his hands. And even though Turturro is a Knicks fan, they can talk smack and take practice shots on the blacktop behind 321 together.

Sure, we’re getting ahead of ourselves! But this is such a proud Brooklyn moment, and we mean that in a GOOD way, for once. Congratulations, Jason. Here’s your cake, and welcome.

Come on, chant it with me: Jay-son Col-lins! Jay-son Col-lins!