miaowang123: “Good luck pushing him out of the game,

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NEW YORK -- Jason Collins has been warmly received in his historic return to the NBA. Kevin Trapp Germany Jersey . Now its time for his own fans to welcome him back. More than a week after becoming the leagues first openly gay player, Collins will finally get to play a home game Monday night when the Brooklyn Nets host the Chicago Bulls. "It will be a lot of fun," Collins said. "I have some family and friends coming to the game. Im looking forward to seeing them and obviously the first home game." He has played hundreds in a Nets uniform, though it was a white, red and blue one, and the home games were in New Jersey. Plenty of fans and employees of the organization remain from when Collins played there from 2001-08, so he will likely be greeted by a loud ovation if he gets into the game. "Ive always said Im not worried about the reaction," said Nets coach Jason Kidd, who played with Collins when the franchise reached consecutive NBA Finals in 2003-03. "I think they will always support a Net. Hes been a Net before. I think theyll be excited to have him, but the big thing is him being able to help us defensively." Collins and the Nets have kept the focus as much on basketball as possible. They all view him as a big man who will willingly defend and foul -- he has racked up 10 of them already in four games -- who can help pass along 12 years of NBA experience to younger teammates such as Mason Plumlee and Andray Blatche. The fact that hes gay makes him much more than that outside the Nets locker room, but he thinks that story line will die down soon enough. "Theres only so many ways you can write the story, or tell the story, and then it will just be about basketball," he said during the middle of last week. Collins thought it had already reached that point, mistakenly believing that Saturdays victory in Milwaukee would be the first time reporters didnt want to talk to him after the game. Not quite yet. Collins may just be a 14th man on the roster to the Nets, but hes still far more than that to the fans he inspired from the moment he decided to come out in a Sports Illustrated article last April. "I think it is a big deal. Hes showing a lot of courage. Youre talking to a guy who was around when Jackie Robinson came in. Whats the difference? Its just as groundbreaking. I just hope hes judged as a basketball player," said Butch Pye, 69, of Castle Rock, Colo., who attended the Nets victory in Denver on Thursday. Collins debut is currently his only guaranteed home game. Hes nearing the end of the 10-day contract he signed on Feb. 23 before facing the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA rules allow teams to sign players to two 10-day deals, then have to sign them for the rest of the year if they want to keep them. There are plenty of reasons to retain Collins. He has brought plenty of positive attention and is making an impact in the gay and lesbian community, with the NBA pledging to donate at least $100,000 from sales of his No. 98 jersey to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. But those having nothing to do with basketball, and the Nets stressed in the press release announcing Collins signing that the move was a basketball decision. He can still do enough to make it a wise one, even with just one basket so far. With Brook Lopez lost for the season and Kevin Garnetts minutes being monitored, Kidd needs a big man he trusts to fill in for a few minutes. And a guy like Collins can help even when hes not in the game. He has defended Shaquille ONeal and Tim uncan in the NBA Finals, so knows what it takes to guard even the biggest stars, even if hes rarely the one doing it. "When I was a younger guy, I learned from Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning. Its a cycle," Collins said. "Now that Im that old man at the end of the bench, that veteran, even though I may not be playing minutes, there definitely are ways I can help the team win." Julian Draxler Jersey . The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been harassed and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues. Julian Draxler Germany Jersey . The 23-year-old McNabb was an All-Star with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans this season, posting seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. In 12 games with the Sabres this season, McNabb has accumulated six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. He has scored one goal and seven assists in 37 career games with the Sabres, who originally selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.While traditionally seen as a “19-year-olds tournament,” the World Junior Hockey Championship has proven a prime stage for 17- and 18-year-old prospects to boost their stock well in advance of the NHL Draft in June. This years tournament promises a little bit of everything in terms of prospect showcasing. Canadian fans may be distracted by watching the evolution of NHL prospects like Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat, or even the play of 16-year-old 2015 Draft prospect Connor McDavid, but the best players available this June may also be playing for Canada. If you look at the latest 2014 prospect rankings – be it TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the International Scouting Service or TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons rankings – the top two names are consistent, and Canadian. Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad. Both players are currently taking part in the selection camp for the Canadian World Junior team in Copenhagen, hoping to earn a spot on the final roster for the tournament in Malmo, Sweden. So what can Canadian fans expect from the pair? Button calls Reinhart – a six-foot-one centre for the Kootenay Ice – “A high end player with exceptional hockey sense.” “He makes others around him better and is able to play multiple positions and situations without any decline in his game,” Button told TSN.ca. “Hes a leader who ‘just plays and does so when it matters and on a consistent basis.” Ekblad, meanwhile, is a player thats had high pedigree from the age of 15. He became just the second player in the history of the Ontario Hockey League (after current New York Islanders captain John Tavares) to be granted ‘exceptional player status and early entry into the league via the OHL Priority Selection. Ekblad was six-foot-three and 205 pounds at 15. The Barrie Colts list him an inch taller and 12 pounds heavier now on their web site, making him a physical force against junior opposition. “Hes a highly dependable, very consistent player who is able to play not only lots of minutes in the game but the important ones,” said Button. “He has a big time intensity to his game that is surrounded by rare calm and poise.” But Canada is not the only team that will be looking to Draft-eligible skkill in hopes of bringing home gold from Malmo. Manuel Neuer Jersey. . The first among those is the team that would have the least distance to go for their victory celebration: the host Swedes. Sweden has some top NHL prospects on their selection roster including Montreal Canadiens prospect Sebastian Collberg, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Alexander Wennberg and the expected addition of Carolina Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm. But the hidden weapon in their arsenal could be 17-year-old Frolunda winger Anton Karlsson, ranked sixth in the latest draft rankings by both Button and the ISS. Button calls Karlsson “a leader in his age group. That leadership is from an on-ice presence that gives him a way to contribute to winning in many different forms.” Another Draft-eligible name to watch in Malmo might be familiar to hockey fans over a certain age: Kasperi Kapanen - son of former Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers winger Sami Kapanen – is a good bet to make the Finnish team. Does he compare to his 25-plus-goal-scoring father? “Hes very skilled yet can impact the game in many ways,” Button said. “His approach to playing could be compared to Patrick Sharp.” So, maybe Kapanens not his 25-plus-goal father … but possibly the 30-plus-goal Sharp. Theres one final player to watch and, hey, heres something new: Hes on the German team. Germany has traditionally taken a beating at the World Juniors. They avoided relegation in 2013, finishing ninth out of 10 teams, marking the first time since 1997 that the team went to the tournament and was not relegated. This year, though, the team boasts a player ranked fourth in McKenzies pre-season draft rankings: Prince Albert Raiders winger Leon Draisaitl. The six-foot-one, 209-pounder has put up 51 points in 33 games in the WHL this season. Button had high praise for his skill and physicality. “Good luck pushing him out of the game,” Button told TSN.ca. “He wants to impact the game in some form and he usually does. Without a real strong supporting cast around on the National Team level, it is left to him, and he always delivers.” Keep an eye out for him as Germany opens the 2014 tournament against Canada on Dec. 26. Watch it live on TSN at 7am et/4am pt. Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Cheap Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies China NFL Hoodies China NFL Jerseys China NFL Gear ' ' '