frenzy around the NBA and beyond, twitter exploded and three days after his signing his number 98 jersey was the top seller at the NBA store and online. Lebron who? When Collins stepped on to the court for his first game back in an 11 minute, two rebound and five foul performance against the Lakers; he became the first openly gay athlete in the American big four (NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL).
It's no wonder that this moment was huge for a lot of
people and the support shown says a lot about how far sport has come. Sure, the decision to sign Collins - whose contract has now been extended to play out the rest of the season - was purely professional. However, the fact that elite sport is now providing an environment where athletes are comfortable to be themselves, without fear of discrimination or harassment, shows that through small steps great progress has been made.
So where to now? Small steps have been made. Sport has again shown it's ability to break social barriers and start proactive conversations. Even though this time sport's influence may have been slightly behind the times, each new sportsperson that makes a stand is breaking new ground. Athletes are our heroes; we watch, we follow, we like and we listen. They're role models, whether they try to be or not, but the question remains; are these people making the most of the influential positions they hold?
Now, I'm not saying that every elite sportsperson should be
a model citizen or stand up
for one of the many discrepancies within our society as it's these differing personalities that make sport so enthralling. However, athletes that do take advantage of their position by
making a statement or performing an act that positively influences the masses and 'laugh in the face of discrimination', these are the true heroes. Personally, I can't wait until the next time an athlete stands up for what they believe in and harnesses the power of sport; not for ticket sales or an increased salary, but for something bigger, something that really matters.
#thepowerofsport
#SR
''Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way little else does. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.''