After Jason Collins' first game with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, in which the veteran center became the first openly gay man to participate in one of the major fourth North American sports, the NBA had to consider whether to sell Collins' jersey on its website.
It would be a rare move -- Collins is only signed to a 10-day deal with the Nets -- but the demand from fans was powerful.
Safe to say the move paid off for the league.
On Tuesday, Collins' jersey was the top selling uniform on the NBA's website.
Jason Collins #98 jersey was the top selling jersey on the NBA's website store today pic.twitter.com/ty5CvFUHys
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) February 26, 2014
The 35-year-old Collins, who played 11 minutes and grabbed two rebounds in his season debut, wore No. 46 against the Lakers, because the team only had a generic emergency jersey while on the road.
But he'll be switching to No. 98, which he also wore while he played with the Celtics and Wizards, for the rest of his time on the Nets. He'll wear the number to honor Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming who was murdered in an antigay hate crime in 1998.
Brooklyn's road trip continues Wednesday in Portland and Thursday in Denver, where Shepard's father, Dennis, plans to attend the Nets-Nuggets game.
