Jason Collins number “98″ jerseys selling fast!

Jason Collins is on day four of a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets – a short but sweet contract that allows him to become the first openly gay active player in NBA history.

Hopefully he will perform well enough for the team to extend another 10 days then after that, they will assess if he will be with the team for the rest of the season.

Whatever happens, Jason is already a hit in the merchandise department.

On Tuesday, his jerseys went on sale at the NBA’s retail shop in Manhattan and at NBAstore.com.

He had to wear #46 for Sunday’s game against the LA Lakers because there was not time to prepare his preferred #98 which is what he wore last season with the Washington Wizards.

Why #98?

It is in honor of the late Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who was murdered in a brutal hate crime in Wyoming in 1998.

According to The New York Times, demand is already through the roof.

Vicky Picca, the NBA’s senior vice president for licensing and business affairs, used the word “unprecedented” Monday to describe the inquiries from people interested in buying something with Collins’s name on it.

Jason is expected to be wearing #98 for tonight’s game in Portland against the Trail Blazers.