The NBA saw a major milestone this past year， as veteran center Jason Collins disclosed he was gay in a personal essay published on April 29 in Sports Illustrated. As we approach opening night， Collins isn’t on an NBA roster. If he remains an unsigned free agent， will his announcement go down as merely symbolic， or will it have a more lasting， meaningful effect？

在過去的這一年，當(dāng)老將中鋒賈森·科林斯在4月29日的《體育畫報(bào)》上親自撰寫的一篇文章中透露自己是同性戀時(shí)，NBA見證了一個(gè)重要的里程碑時(shí)刻。當(dāng)我們距離賽季揭幕戰(zhàn)越來越近時(shí)，科林斯卻仍沒有加入任何一支球隊(duì)。如果他一直維持未簽約的自由球員身份，那么他的出柜聲明到底僅具有象征意義，還是具有更持久、更有意義的效果？

Today offers us an opportunity to explore that question.

今天，我們終于有機(jī)會討論這個(gè)問題。

Not long before Jason Collins came out to the world， I sat with an NBA head coach in an empty gym after his team’s practice. In the few years I’ve been talking with players， coaches or execs as a gay journalist about the implications of an openly gay player， the gravitation has been toward those I perceived would be most accepting and comfortable. When we want to classify these guys， we often call them enlightened and smart， even if what we really mean is that they share our cultural sensibilities.

就在賈森·科林斯出柜前不久，我和一個(gè)NBA球隊(duì)的主教練在他的球隊(duì)結(jié)束訓(xùn)練后，一起坐在空蕩的球館里聊天。過去幾年，我以一個(gè)同性戀記者的身份，和球員、教練甚至球隊(duì)管理層交流過一個(gè)公開同性戀身份的球員會給球隊(duì)帶來的影響。對此我感受的回應(yīng)大多是包容以及滿意的。當(dāng)我們想給這些人做出分類時(shí)，我們通常將他們稱為開明以及睿智的人，盡管我們的真正意思不過是，他們和我們一起熟悉人情世故。

This coach doesn’t fall into that group. He’s razor-sharp and intellectually curious-- and he happens to be devoted to the idea that a specific collection of texts① should serve as our moral authority. If I wanted a true pulse on the collective sentiment of those in the basketball world about the climate for a gay player， it was time to start conversations with people who subscribed to different creeds， people like this head coach.

這個(gè)教練卻不屬于這種人。他言辭犀利，而且相當(dāng)好學(xué)。碰巧，他還是那種堅(jiān)信我們該把某些文字當(dāng)作道德教條的一類人。如果我想真正了解籃球界對同性戀球員到底有什么樣的看法，那么我現(xiàn)在該去交流的，是那些和我們擁有不同信仰的人，比如這位教練。

Over the course of our chat， which covered topics ranging from theology to how values are instilled in human beings， this coach offered up a prediction： An active NBA player would come out pretty soon. The public reaction to the announcement would be positive. A few high-profile players and coaches would voice overwhelming support for the player， and the media would celebrate the moment.

我們從宗教一直聊到價(jià)值觀是如何灌輸?shù)饺藗冃闹羞@些話題，在交流過程中，這名教練向我做了一個(gè)預(yù)言：很快就會有現(xiàn)役NBA球員出柜。這個(gè)聲明會贏得公眾積極的反饋。一些高知名度的球員和教練會給予出柜的球員 大力支持，媒體會對這一時(shí)刻歡呼雀躍。

But back in the locker room， the majority of the league’s rostered players would still be uncomfortable with the idea of sharing close space with a gay teammate， according to the coach. When the cameras and digital recorders are turned off， the attitudes of the median player in the NBA were closer to those of the coach， not mine.

但根據(jù)這名教練的說法，回到更衣室后，和一個(gè)同性戀隊(duì)友一起分享私密的空間，這個(gè)想法仍會讓大部分球員感到不自在。當(dāng)關(guān)閉了鏡頭和錄音設(shè)備后，NBA中普通球員會更接近這名教練的態(tài)度，而不是和我一樣。

This vision was prescient to a great extent. On the Monday Collins made his announcement in Sports Illustrated， some big names expressed encouragement and respect. Elder statesmen like Paul Pierce， Kobe Bryant， LeBron James， Steve Nash， Grant Hill， Shane Battier and Chauncey Billups backed Collins in media scrums and on Twitter. The press congratulated Collins and noted the hospitable reception for Collins in the public sphere.

在很大程度上，這名教練的觀點(diǎn)具有先見之明。周一，賈森·科林斯在《體育畫報(bào)》上公開了他的聲明，一些大牌球員紛紛表達(dá)了自己的鼓勵和尊重之情。如保羅·皮爾斯、科比·布萊恩特、勒布朗·詹姆斯、史蒂夫·納什、格蘭特·希爾、肖恩·巴蒂爾和昌西·比盧普斯這樣的元老級球員在媒體和推特上力挺科林斯。媒體祝賀了科林斯，而且公眾也以友善的方式接納了科林斯。

Conventional wisdom quickly coalesced around the idea that Collins’ identity as a gay man wouldn’t hurt him in free agency， especially with his reputation for being a model teammate. At his most recent stop in Washington， Collins made a big impression on the younger guys in the Wizards’ youth movement. At Collins’ suggestion， the kids stopped eating fast food in the locker room and learned how to work through a circuit in the weight room like professional athletes.

傳統(tǒng)觀念很快就得出了結(jié)論，他們認(rèn)為科林斯同性戀的身份不會對他在自由球員市場上產(chǎn)生影響，尤其他還有著模范隊(duì)友的好名聲。最近在華盛頓奇才效力期間，在奇才的陣容年輕化運(yùn)動中，科林斯對年輕球員產(chǎn)生了巨大影響。在他的建議下，那些年輕人不再在更衣室吃垃圾食品，還學(xué)會了如何像專業(yè)運(yùn)動員一樣，在訓(xùn)練房里完成一套完整的訓(xùn)練。

Collins is a guy who as recently as two years ago proved he can make life difficult for an opposing center. Older big men often fall out of the league as they get older because they put on a few extra pounds and lose stamina. Not Collins， who is in impeccable shape， which makes sense because he works out at least three hours a day as a matter of routine.

最近兩年，科林斯已經(jīng)證明自己能給對方中鋒帶來不小的麻煩。上了年紀(jì)的大個(gè)子球員經(jīng)常被聯(lián)盟拋棄，因?yàn)樗麄円炊嗔速樔?，要么體能下滑。但擁有絕佳體型的科林斯卻不是這樣的人，當(dāng)你知道他每天有至少三個(gè)小時(shí)的固定訓(xùn)練后，這個(gè)結(jié)果就顯而易見了。

“Conditioning won’t be a factor in a team’s decision，” Collins says. “I’m making sure that my health won’t be a liability.”

“身體狀態(tài)不會成為影響球隊(duì)決定的因素。”科林斯表示，“我會保證自己的健康不會成為球隊(duì)的負(fù)擔(dān)?！?/p>

Optimists embraced the notion that if a couple of teams had issues with Collins， there would be a counterbalance from a couple of owners and execs who liked the idea of being a Walter O’Malley or a Branch Rickey②.

樂觀的人認(rèn)為，即使有些球隊(duì)對科林斯看不順眼，但仍會有另外一些有心成為沃爾特·奧沒利或布蘭奇·里奇的老板或管理層人員能夠制衡那些消極的態(tài)度。

“All it takes is one team，one owner， We’ll see what happens.”Collins says.

“只要一支球隊(duì)。一個(gè)老板，我們會看到接下來會發(fā)生什么。” 科林斯說，

Whatever assets Collins brings to a team， they haven’t been enough to persuade an NBA team to retain his services. The question of who will sign Collins has been revised to， “Will anyone？”

無論科林斯能給球隊(duì)提供什么幫助，這些都不足以說服NBA球隊(duì)，讓他繼續(xù)留在聯(lián)盟?！罢l會簽下科林斯”這個(gè)問題，已經(jīng)變成了“還有人會簽下他嗎”。

“I don’t know the answer，” Golden State Warriors president and chief operating officer Rick Welts says. Welts came out in the spring of 2011， the first executive in the NBA to do so publicly. “I’m rooting for a good outcome for Jason whether he plays another game or not. I hope he will and that after a while we can forget about everything other than than the fact the he’s a player who can give you quality minutes off the bench and is a terrific teammate.\"

“我不知道答案。”金州勇士隊(duì)總裁兼首席運(yùn)行官里克·維爾茨表示。沃爾茨在2011年春天出柜，他是NBA里第一個(gè)如此公開自己的性取向的管理人員?！盁o論他是否打比賽，我都支持賈森得到一個(gè)好的結(jié)果。我希望他能得到好的結(jié)果，而很久之后，我們會忘記一切，除了記住他是一個(gè)能以板凳球員身份為球隊(duì)打出好表現(xiàn)的事實(shí)，記住他是一個(gè)了不起的隊(duì)友。”

Welts’ combination of optimism and apprehension is shared by many others around the league who are rooting for Collins， but recognize the forces working against him. They list any number of factors， some unique to his identity as the only openly gay free agent， others products of circumstance.

維爾茨對此樂觀與擔(dān)憂參半的想法，也是聯(lián)盟中不少人的態(tài)度，他們也意識到了科林斯面對的阻力。他們列出了一系列因素，有些是科林斯特有的，比如他是唯一一個(gè)公開的同性戀自由球員，其他則出自聯(lián)盟的大環(huán)境。

As the league gets stretchier -- with some teams employing as few as four conventional big men -- fewer NBA jobs remain for a center whose primary on-court asset is interior defense. Many teams prefer to take fliers on younger prospects whose contracts can be discarded on Jan. 10， when the vets’ phones start to ring. For their part， the Warriors have stockpiled centers. They have Andrew Bogut， Festus Ezeli， Ognjen Kuzmic， Jermaine O’Neal and Dewayne Dedmon all under contract.

隨著聯(lián)盟球隊(duì)越來越注重拉開場上空間——有些球隊(duì)只有極少的4名傳統(tǒng)內(nèi)線——對于一個(gè)在場上最大作用就是內(nèi)線防守的中鋒來說，可供他選擇的工作越來越少。很多球隊(duì)偏愛使用那些可以在1月10日裁掉的年輕球員，那時(shí)候他們才會給老將拋出新合同。從勇士的角度講，他們已經(jīng)積累了不少中鋒。他們已經(jīng)有了安德魯·博古特、費(fèi)斯圖斯·艾澤里、奧杰·庫茲米克、杰梅因·奧尼爾和德維恩·戴德蒙。

“The reality for our team is that we are really deep at the center position -- there’s not a roster spot available，” Welts says.

“我們球隊(duì)的現(xiàn)實(shí)是，我們在中鋒位置上有著很深的陣容深度，我們沒有空缺的名額了?！本S爾茨說。

League trends aside， nearly a dozen execs say privately that the media glare that would come with a Collins signing just isn’t worth the distraction to most teams. Locker rooms are fragile places already and not always receptive to change， and though NBA players as a whole are extremely professional with the media， it’s not their favorite half hour of the day. The easier it is， the better. If he were a rotation player or better， the thinking goes， the cost/benefit analysis might produce a different outcome.

聯(lián)盟趨勢放在一邊不說，有十多位球隊(duì)管理層私下里表示，對大多數(shù)球隊(duì)來說，科林斯簽約帶來的媒體關(guān)注對球隊(duì)造成的影響，不值得球隊(duì)冒這個(gè)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。更衣室的氛圍是脆弱的，而且球員并不總能接受新的變化。盡管NBA球員整體在面對媒體時(shí)一向能表現(xiàn)得非常職業(yè)，但他們也不會喜歡一天中那半小時(shí)的采訪時(shí)間。這段時(shí)間過得越輕松越好。如果他是一個(gè)常規(guī)輪轉(zhuǎn)球員或者更高級別的球員，這些顧慮就會消失，付出/收益的分析也許就會有不同的結(jié)果。

In other words， the market for Collins would be bigger if he weren’t openly gay.

換句話說，如果科林斯沒有公開同性戀身份，他的市場價(jià)值會比現(xiàn)在更高。

Beyond the scrutiny that might come with Collins’ presence， anxiety and distaste for the idea of a gay teammate still exists among many NBA players. A few veterans say that in the immediate wake of Collins’ announcement， opinions varied widely during conversations in the locker room. Some players were incredulous that anyone would have an issue suiting up next to a gay guy， while others said they were repulsed by gay men.

除了科林斯帶來的外界無孔不入的審視，聯(lián)盟很多球員仍然會對擁有一名同性戀隊(duì)友感到焦慮和厭惡?？屏炙钩龉窈螅恍├蠈⒈硎?，球員在更衣室里的討論中其實(shí)持有各種各樣的態(tài)度。有些球員不能相信會有人因?yàn)橛袀€(gè)同性戀隊(duì)友而感到不爽，而其他人則表示，他們惡心同性戀。

Some things haven’t really changed about the climate around the league. Few want to have a frank conversation about the issue on the record. This isn’t the kind of thing to be addressed in a scrum after practice， or while a guy is going through his pregame rituals at his locker. Like PEDs③， homosexuality is still on the list of radioactive topics. Communications departments would kindly like a heads up if you plan to broach the subject because one tangled quote can find itself under the media microscope. In fact， the media cycle immediately following the Collins story is one of the only instances when players have been free game on the theme.

聯(lián)盟里有些大環(huán)境事實(shí)上并沒有發(fā)生改變。很少有人愿意就這個(gè)問題進(jìn)行公開而坦誠的對話。這不屬于在訓(xùn)練后的采訪中可以談及的話題，也不是一名球員在賽前更衣室進(jìn)行個(gè)人日?；顒訒r(shí)可以聊的話題。和禁藥一樣，同性戀仍然屬于敏感話題。如果你準(zhǔn)備聊這個(gè)話題，球隊(duì)的公關(guān)部門會善意地希望你提前給出通知，因?yàn)橐痪浜磺宓幕卮鹂赡軙幻襟w放在放大鏡下不斷追問。事實(shí)上，科林斯出柜后媒體的及時(shí)跟進(jìn)，也是唯一一次球員能自由地對這個(gè)問題發(fā)表自己的觀點(diǎn)。

So now the goalposts have moved. Collins is a long shot to make a roster before opening night， which was the original benchmark. There’s guarded optimism among those around the league that he can hook on with a team midseason as roster spots open up， but with Collins unsigned， we have to start contemplating what it means if he never plays another game. If that happens， was anything accomplished？ Does the personal manifesto on April 29 still pack the same punch？ Does it count？

那么現(xiàn)在，目標(biāo)和過去不一樣了。想在揭幕戰(zhàn)前和球隊(duì)簽約，科林斯還有很長的一段路要走，這原本是他最初的目標(biāo)。聯(lián)盟中有一種保守的樂觀態(tài)度，認(rèn)為在賽季中當(dāng)球隊(duì)陣容有空缺時(shí)，科林斯能夠和某支球隊(duì)簽約。但科林斯尚未找到東家的現(xiàn)實(shí)，使得我們不得不去考慮，如果他再也沒能走上球場，這意味著什么？他在4月29日的那次個(gè)人宣言還擁有同樣的分量嗎？那還有意義嗎？

\"Of course it counts，” Welts says.\"Because at the time Jason came out， the hope was that he would have more to his NBA career. He put himself out there with a full résumé of who he is as a person.”

“當(dāng)然有意義?！本S爾茨表示，“因?yàn)樵谫Z森出柜時(shí)，人們希望他的NBA職業(yè)生涯會有更重要的意義。他把完整的自己展現(xiàn)了出來，展現(xiàn)了他到底是一個(gè)什么樣的人?！?/p>

Welts appreciates that intent matters. The league hasn’t fully integrated a gay man into the workplace， not yet. The incremental nature of progress can be a total buzzkill， but if you look closely enough， there’s comfort in more than just symbolism.

維爾茨欣賞的是，做事的目的仍然很重要。聯(lián)盟并沒有完全包容同性戀，至少現(xiàn)在沒有。而實(shí)際的進(jìn)展可能會讓人非常掃興，但如果你仔細(xì)觀察，除了象征意義外，這其中也有令人欣慰的地方。

The conversations that produced a wide array of opinions following Collins’announcement are a new thing in the NBA. Grant Hill recounted a spontaneous discussion among the Los Angeles Clippers after they heard the news. Hill has been an outspoken supporter of creating a receptive environment for gay players， and while he didn’t agree with every opinion in the room， he did take away something larger from the moment.

科林斯出柜帶來的討論并由此引出的大量觀點(diǎn)，對NBA來說，這是全新的體驗(yàn)。格蘭特·希爾描述了洛杉磯快艇球員聽到這個(gè)消息后的一次自發(fā)談?wù)摗Ｏ栆幌虼罅χС譃橥詰偾騿T創(chuàng)造一個(gè)包容的環(huán)境，盡管他不同意當(dāng)時(shí)更衣室里的所有觀點(diǎn)，但他卻從那時(shí)的討論中體會到了更重要的東西。

“It was the first time I can ever remember a whole team sitting around talking about the issue，” Hill says. “It’s something you might have talked about in a private conversation with one or two other people， but never as a big group. [That day]， guys who didn’t agree were talking about why it made them uncomfortable， and some guys said they thought it was foolish to feel that way. It was an open conversation. It was honest.”

“這是我印象中一整支球隊(duì)一起坐下來討論一個(gè)問題?！毕柋硎?，“這是你和一兩個(gè)人在私下里討論的話題，但從來不會和一大群人討論。那天，那些持反對意見的人說出了為什么讓他們感到不舒服的原因，有人說，有不舒服感覺的都是愚蠢的。這是一次開誠布公的交流。”

I asked Collins to choose between staying in the closet， but milking another three years out of his pro career and a scenario in which he never plays another NBA game as the man who came out on April 29.

我讓科林斯選擇，到底是繼續(xù)保持深柜狀態(tài)、從而在職業(yè)生涯上再增加一份三年合同，還是作為一個(gè)在4月29日出柜、也許再也無法打NBA比賽的人。

“Definitely the latter，” Collins says. “You can’t underestimate how good it feels to control your own story， being able to tell your own truth is， to live an authentic life versus having that stress， that worry， that fear of ‘Is today going to be the day that someone figures it out？’ It opens up so many other doors in life， meeting new people， friendships， being a part of a community that celebrates acceptance and tolerance.”

“絕對是后者。”科林斯說，“當(dāng)你能控制自己的生活時(shí)，你無法低估這種感覺有多好。能講出真實(shí)的自己，能過上真正的生活，而不是帶著壓力、擔(dān)憂，帶著那種‘今天會不會有人察覺出來’的恐懼感生活。這為生活打開了更多的大門，我能認(rèn)識新人，建立新的友誼，能成為崇尚包容和寬容群體的一部分?！?/p>

This season， the NBA has a chance to become one of those communities. The transition was never going to be quick and easy， and if Collins doesn’t find another employer in the NBA， it could conceivably be a couple of more years. Closeted players might interpret the outcome as evidence that coming out is professional suicide， though one owner can reverse that impression.

NBA有機(jī)會在本賽季成為這個(gè)群體的一員。轉(zhuǎn)變永遠(yuǎn)不是一個(gè)快速而簡單的過程，如果科林斯沒能在NBA找到新東家，那么可以想象，這個(gè)過程還要再持續(xù)一些年。處于深柜狀態(tài)的球員會把科林斯的結(jié)局當(dāng)作“出柜就是職業(yè)自殺”的證據(jù)，但只要一個(gè)老板，就能改變這種印象。