Jason Collins and His NBA Victory Get Branded

Jason Collins continues to make headlines this week, this time after his basketball jersey has become a top-seller on NBA.com.

The Brooklyn Nets center and first openly gay player in the NBA wears the number 98 jersey in honor of Matthew Shepard, a boy who was murdered for being gay in 1998, and according to N.Y. Daily News, it was a hit the second it became available for purchase on Tuesday. Jason has reportedly said he wears the number because "it's a symbolic and important number in the gay community."

Jason joined the Nets on a 10-day contract beginning Sunday after coming out publicly to Sports Illustrated in April. The New York Times reports that as soon as Monday, requests for Jason's jersey began to multiply. Vicky Picca, the NBA's senior vice president for licensing and business affairs, commented that the demand for the jersey was "unprecedented."

Though Jason was unable to get the uniform number for his premiere game with Brooklyn, he will debut it tonight in the Nets match-up against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Get it while it's hot!

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