Lawmakers congratulate Jason Collins on signing

Lawmakers took to Twitter on Sunday to congratulate basketball player Jason Collins for signing with the Brooklyn Nets.

Collins, 35, is set to sign with the Nets, according to several press reports. That would make him the first openly gay player in all of North America’s four major men’s sports leagues. Collins, a 7-foot-tall center, drew national attention when he came out as gay in an April Sports Illustrated article.

Congrats to @jasoncollins34 on getting signed to play for @BrooklynNets first out #lgbt #nba pro basketball player!

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) February 23, 2014

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) was the first openly gay candidate elected to Congress as a nonincumbent when he ran in 2008.

Kudos to Jason! MT @jaredpolis: Congrats to @jasoncollins34 on getting signed to play for @BrooklynNets first out #lgbt #nba pro player!

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 23, 2014

Congrats to my friend @jasoncollins34 on his return to the #NBA. Excited to see him suit up for the @BrooklynNets tonight!-JPK

— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) February 23, 2014

Collins is expected to suit up Sunday night for the Nets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN. The player hasn’t played a NBA game since April 2013 with the Washington Wizards.

Since coming out, Collins has received support from some of Washington’s highest-profile figures, including President Obama. The player was a guest in the first lady’s box during the president’s State of the Union address and also attended the White House State Dinner for French President François Hollande earlier this month.

— This report was updated at 5:08 p.m.