Jason Paul Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who was a
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
for 13 seasons in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal are the athletic teams that represent Stanford University. As of June, 2022, Stanford's program has won 131 NCAA team championships. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each academic year for 46 consecutive ...
, where he was an
All-American in 2000–01. Collins was selected by the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
as the 18th overall pick in the
2001 NBA draft
The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, ...
. He went on to play for the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
,
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
,
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
,
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
,
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
,
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
and
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
.
After the 2012–13 NBA season concluded, Collins publicly
came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as gay. He became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
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
four major North American pro sports leagues. In April 2014, Collins was featured on the cover of ''
Time Magazine's'' "100 Most Influential People in the World".
Early life
Collins was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, in the
Northridge neighborhood. He was born eight minutes ahead of his twin brother
Jarron, who also became an NBA player.
[
Both brothers graduated from ]Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California, with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades seven through twelve. Its two predec ...
in Los Angeles. He and Jarron won two California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have a s ...
state titles during their four-year careers with a combined record of 123–10. Collins broke the California career rebounding record with 1,500. Collins was backed up by Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...
, who ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' opined might have ended up being the most famous player from the team.
College career
Collins played at Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
with brother Jarron for the Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in the Pacific-10 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
(Pac-10). In 2001, Collins was named to All-Pac-10 first team, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, head men's basketball coach at the University o ...
(NABC) voted him to their third-team All-American team
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
.
He finished his college career ranked first in Stanford history for field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gener ...
(.608) and third in blocked shot
In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player to prevent a score. The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player's hand (unless the de ...
s (89).
Professional career
New Jersey Nets (2001–2008)
As a rookie along with Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson Jr. (born June 21, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on ESPN. He played college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats. Jefferson was drafted in the first round of the 200 ...
, Collins played a significant role in the New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
' first-ever NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
berth in 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
against the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. During this Finals appearance, Collins acknowledged that he is not really 7 feet tall as he has been listed since his junior year of college. He was measured 6 ft 10¼ in at the 2001 NBA combine.
In the 2002–03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the 2003 NBA Finals. This would be Michael Jordan's last season in the NBA. ...
Collins took over the starting center role for the Nets and helped the franchise back to the NBA Finals. During that season, Collins averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Prior to the 2004–05 season, he signed a $25 million contract extension with New Jersey for five more years.
Memphis Grizzlies (2008)
On February 4, 2008, Collins was traded along with cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
for Stromile Swift.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2008–2009)
On June 26, 2008, Collins was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
in an eight-player deal involving Kevin Love
Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team and ...
and O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...
.
Atlanta Hawks (2009–2012)
Collins signed with the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
on September 2, 2009. Collins re-signed with the Hawks in the 2010 offseason. In 2010–11, the fifth-seeded Hawks defeated the fourth-seeded Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
as Collins slowed the Magic's dominant center, Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. He is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team m ...
. After Game 4 in the series, then-Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy
Stanley Alan Van Gundy (born August 26, 1959) is an American former basketball coach who is a National Basketball Association (NBA) game analyst for TNT. Prior to TNT, Van Gundy was most recently the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the ...
called Collins' play "the best defense on owardall year".
Boston Celtics (2012–2013)
On July 31, 2012, Collins signed a contract with the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
.
Washington Wizards (2013)
On February 21, 2013, Collins and Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Mateus Barbosa (; born November 28, 1982), also known as Leandrinho Barbosa, is a Brazilian former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also rep ...
were traded to the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
in exchange for Jordan Crawford
Jordan Lee Crawford (born October 23, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for Manama Club of the Bahraini Premier League. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers and the Xavier Musketeers. His brother is Joe Crawfor ...
.
On April 29, 2013, after the season had already concluded, Collins publicly came out as gay, becoming the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional team sports to publicly do so. Collins became a free agent in July 2013, and stated that he intended to pursue another contract. He was not invited by any team to training camp, but he worked out at his home waiting for an opportunity.[
]
Brooklyn Nets (2014)
On February 23, 2014, Collins signed a 10-day contract to rejoin the Nets, who had since moved to Brooklyn. Nets coach Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...
, who became good friends with Collins while teammates in New Jersey from 2001 to 2008, was an advocate of signing Collins. Collins played 11 minutes that night against the Lakers at the Staples Center
Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...
, becoming the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues. Collins wore jersey number
In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...
46 (the only number the team had available at the time) in his first game of the season, but planned to wear No. 98—the same number he wore with Boston and Washington—going forward.[ Collins chose to wear No. 98 in honor of ]Matthew Shepard
Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was taken by rescuers to Pou ...
, whose 1998 murder was widely reported as a hate crime
A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
and ultimately led to the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a landmark United States federal law, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, as a rider to the National Defense Auth ...
.[ Collins' jersey rose to the top spot for sales in the NBA's online shop, and the NBA announced that proceeds from the sales, as well as proceeds from auctions of Collins' autographed game-worn jerseys, would benefit the ]Matthew Shepard Foundation
The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBT nonprofit organization, headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, which was founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their son, Matthew. The Foundation runs education, outreach, and adv ...
, and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
GLSEN (pronounced ''glisten''; formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) is an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expres ...
(GLSEN).
On March 5, 2014, Collins signed a second 10-day contract with the Nets. On March 15, 2014, Collins signed with the Nets for the rest of the season.
On November 19, 2014, Collins announced his retirement from professional basketball after 13 seasons in the NBA.
Player profile
Collins had low career averages in the NBA of 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, and 41 percent shooting from the field, and never averaged more than seven points or seven rebounds in a season. However, the basketball analytics
Advanced statistics (also known as analytics or APBRmetrics) in basketball refers to analyzing basketball statistics through objective evidence. APBRmetrics is a cousin to the study of baseball statistics, known as sabermetrics, and similarly tak ...
community valued his defense through measurements not typically found in a boxscore. Collins was a physical player defending the post
Post or POST commonly refers to:
*Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries
**An Post, the Irish national postal service
**Canada Post, Canadian postal service
**Deutsche Post, German postal service
**Iraqi Post, Ira ...
, boxed out well, and excelled at setting screens
Screen or Screens may refer to:
Arts
* Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing
* Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry
* Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which m ...
.[ He was precise in executing coaches' defensive strategies, and he read the opponents' movements well and communicated on defense.][ He also had a reputation for being a team leader, and earned consistent praise for his professionalism and intelligence on the court.][
]
Personal life
Collins 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.
Coming out
In the cover story of the May 6, 2013 issue of ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'', a first person story by Collins with journalist Franz Lidz
Franz Lidz (born September 24, 1951) is an American writer, journalist and pro basketball executive.
A ''New York Times'' archaeology, science and film essayist, he's a former ''Sports Illustrated'' senior writer, ,[Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now]
', Franz Lidz
Franz Lidz (born September 24, 1951) is an American writer, journalist and pro basketball executive.
A ''New York Times'' archaeology, science and film essayist, he's a former ''Sports Illustrated'' senior writer, 04.29.13 - ''Sports Illustrated''[The story behind Jason Collins' story: How it happened]
', 04.29.13 - ''Sports Illustrated'' and posted on the magazine's website on April 29, 2013, he came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as gay, becoming the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional team sports to publicly do so.[ He wrote that he wished to maintain his privacy in regard to specific details of his personal life, and that he is not in a relationship. Collins also said a "notorious antigay hate crime", the murder of ]Matthew Shepard
Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was taken by rescuers to Pou ...
in 1998, led him to choose "98" for his jersey number
In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...
, in Shepard's honor. Collins called the number "a statement to myself, my family and my friends."
Following his announcement, Collins has received high praise and support for deciding to publicly reveal that he is gay. Fellow NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
star Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
praised his decision, as did others from around the league, including NBA commissioner
The Commissioner of the NBA is the chief executive of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The current commissioner is Adam Silver, who succeeded David Stern on February 1, 2014.
List of NBA commissioners
Maurice Podoloff (1946–1963) ...
David Stern
David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of ...
. President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
, former president Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, and Collins' corporate sponsor Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
were also among those offering their praise and support for Collins. However, ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
basketball analyst Chris Broussard
Christopher Dana Broussard (born October 28, 1968) is an American sports analyst and commentator for Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports Radio. Best known for his coverage of the NBA, he is now a co-host on FS1's afternoon show '' First Things First'', a ...
stated that he did not believe that Collins can "live an openly homosexual lifestyle" and be a Christian, but thought that Collins "displayed bravery with his announcement". Collins, a Christian, responded by saying "This is all about tolerance and acceptance and America is the best country in the world because we're all entitled to our opinions and beliefs but we don't have to agree. And obviously I don't agree with his statement." ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called it significant for LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
acceptance "as professional sports had long been seen as the final frontier." Given the interest in major league team sports in the United States, ''The Christian Science Monitor
''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'' wrote that Collins' announcement was "likely to put wind in the sails of this trend" of acceptance of gay rights in U.S. public opinion. Former tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
player Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova ( cs, Martina Navrátilová ; ; born October 18, 1956) is a Czech–American, former professional tennis player. Widely considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, Navratilova won 18 major singles titles, 31 maj ...
, who came out as a lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
in 1981, called Collins a "game-changer" for team sports, which she referred to as one of the last areas where homophobia
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
remained.
Collins' former fiancée, Carolyn Moos, expressed conflicted feelings and said she only learned Collins was gay shortly before the ''Sports Illustrated'' cover story.
On the day it was released, the ''Sports Illustrated'' story drew a record 3.7 million visitors to the magazine's website, SI.com.
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called his 2014 signing with Brooklyn "perhaps basketball’s most celebrated and scrutinized 10-day contract." His No. 98 jersey became the top seller on the NBA's online store.
Since June 2014, Collins has been in a relationship with producer Brunson Green.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
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, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 77 , , 9 , , 18.3 , , .421 , , .500 , , .701 , , 3.9 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .6 , , 4.5
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 31.8 , , .412 , , .333 , , .656 , , 6.1 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .9 , , 6.4
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 71 , , 70 , , 26.7 , , .397 , , .250 , , .512 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , .6 , , 3.6
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
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New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 43 , , 23 , , 15.9 , , .426 , , , , .389 , , 2.1 , , .4 , , .3 , , .2 , , 1.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 31 , , 3 , , 15.7 , , .508 , , .000 , , .526 , , 2.9 , , .2 , , .4 , , .5 , , 2.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 31 , , 22 , , 13.6 , , .314 , , , , .464 , , 2.3 , , .4 , , .3 , , .4 , , 1.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, 24 , , 0 , , 4.8 , , .348 , , .000 , , .000 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , .1 , , .7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta
, 49 , , 28 , , 12.1 , , .479 , , 1.000 , , .659 , , 2.1 , , .4 , , .2 , , .2 , , 2.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta
, 30 , , 10 , , 10.3 , , .400 , , , , .467 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 Boston Celtics season, Boston
, 32 , , 7 , , 10.3 , , .348 , , , , .700 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , .3 , , .2 , , 1.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 Washington Wizards season, Washington
, 6 , , 2 , , 9.0 , , .167 , , , , 1.000 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .7 , , .7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 Brooklyn Nets season, Brooklyn
, 22 , , 1 , , 7.8 , , .458 , , .000 , , .750 , , 0.9 , , .2 , , .4 , , .0 , , 1.1
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 735 , , 477 , , 20.4 , , .411 , , .206 , , .647 , , 3.7 , , .9 , , .5 , , .5 , , 3.6
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2002 NBA playoffs, 2002
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 17 , , 0 , , 13.4 , , .364 , , , , .658 , , 2.4 , , .4 , , .3 , , .4 , , 2.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2003 NBA playoffs, 2003
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 26.5 , , .363 , , .000 , , .836 , , 6.3 , , .9 , , .7 , , .6 , , 5.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2004 NBA playoffs, 2004
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 24.2 , , .368 , , , , .750 , , 4.0 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , .9 , , 3.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2005 NBA playoffs, 2005
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 32.0 , , .235 , , , , .375 , , 6.5 , , .3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 2.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2006 NBA playoffs, 2006
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 27.5 , , .360 , , , , .591 , , 5.0 , , .3 , , .5 , , .2 , , 2.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2007 NBA playoffs, 2007
, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 12 , , 12 , , 27.4 , , .571 , , , , .364 , , 3.3 , , .2 , , .6 , , .3 , , 2.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2010 NBA playoffs, 2010
, style="text-align:left;", Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 3.3 , , .600 , , , , , , 1.7 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2011 NBA playoffs, 2011
, style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta
, 12 , , 9 , , 13.2 , , .643 , , , , .375 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2012 NBA playoffs, 2012
, style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta
, 5 , , 4 , , 17.0 , , .545 , , , , , , 2.4 , , .0 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 95 , , 71 , , 21.4 , , .400 , , .000 , , .677 , , 3.8 , , .5 , , .4 , , .4 , , 3.3
Awards
On August 2, 2013, Collins was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
* Michael Sam
* Gareth Thomas (rugby), Gareth Thomas
* Homosexuality in sports
** Homosexuality in sports in the United States
* List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sportspeople
References
External links
Stanford Cardinal bio
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Jason
1978 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
African-American Christians
All-American college men's basketball players
Basketball players from Los Angeles
Boston Celtics players
Brooklyn Nets players
Centers (basketball)
Gay sportsmen
Harvard-Westlake School alumni
Houston Rockets draft picks
Identical twins
LGBT African Americans
LGBT basketball players
LGBT Christians
LGBT people from California
American LGBT sportspeople
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Memphis Grizzlies players
New Jersey Nets players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
People from Northridge, Los Angeles
Stanford Cardinal men's basketball players
American twins
Twin sportspeople
American men's basketball players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople