Jason Paul Collins was an American professional basketball player who was a center for 13 seasons in the NBA. He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, earning third-team All-American honors in 2001. Collins was selected by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick.
๐ Early Life and College
Collins was born in Los Angeles, California, eight minutes ahead of his twin brother, Jarron, who also became an NBA player. Both brothers graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. Collins broke the California career rebounding record with 1,500.
As a senior in 2000โ01, Collins averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. He was named to the All-Pac-10 first team and the NABC third-team All-American team. He finished his college career ranked first in Stanford history for field goal percentage (.608) and third in blocked shots (89).
๐ NBA Career
As a rookie, Collins played a significant role in the New Jersey Nets’ first-ever NBA Finals berth in 2002. In the 2002โ03 season, he took over the starting center role and helped the franchise back to the NBA Finals. He signed a $25 million contract extension with New Jersey for five more years prior to the 2004โ05 season.
Collins played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards. In 2010โ11, the fifth-seeded Hawks defeated the fourth-seeded Orlando Magic as Collins slowed Dwight Howard. On November 19, 2014, Collins announced his retirement from professional basketball after 13 seasons.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Coming Out and Legacy
After the 2012โ13 season concluded, Collins publicly came out as gay. He became a free agent and did not play again until February 2014, when he signed with the Nets and became the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American pro sports leagues. In 2014, Collins was featured on the cover of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”.
Collins chose to wear No. 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard. His jersey rose to the top spot for sales in the NBA’s online shop. On August 2, 2013, Collins was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.
๐ Career Statistics and Personal Life
Collins had low career averages of 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, and 41 percent shooting. He was in an eight-year relationship with former WNBA center Carolyn Moos, and the two were engaged to be married, but Collins called off the wedding in 2009. He entered a relationship with film producer Brunson Green in June 2014, and the pair married in May 2025.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | December 2, 1978 | Died | May 12, 2026 |
| NBA Draft | 2001, 1st round, 18th overall | College | Stanford Cardinal |
| NBA Seasons | 13 | Career Averages | 3.6 pts, 3.7 reb, 0.5 blk |
| First Openly Gay Player | February 2014 | Jersey Number | 98 (in honor of Matthew Shepard) |