Changes

| league          =

| league          =

| team            =

| team            =

| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1978|12|02}}

| birth_place    = [[Northridge, Los Angeles|Northridge, California]]

| birth_date      = {{birth date|1978|12|02}}

| birth_place    = [[Northridge, Los Angeles|Northridge, California]], U.S.

| nationality    = American

| nationality    = American

| high_school    = [[Harvard-Westlake School|Harvard-Westlake]]<br />([[Los Angeles, California]])

| high_school    = [[Harvard-Westlake School|Harvard-Westlake]]<br />([[Los Angeles, California]])

| nba_profile    = jason_collins

| nba_profile    = jason_collins

}}

}}

'''Jason Paul Collins''' (born December 2, 1978) is a retired [[Americans|American]] [[basketball]] player. He was a center for the [[Brooklyn Nets]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA).

'''Jason Paul Collins''' (December 2, 1978 &ndash; May 12, 2026) was an [[Americans|American]] [[basketball]] player. He was a center for the [[Brooklyn Nets]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). Collins was openly [[gay]] during the final years of his career which made him the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|four major North American pro sports leagues]] and the first openly gay basketball player in the NBA.<ref name=keh_02232014/>

== College ==

== College ==

Collins played [[college basketball]] for [[Stanford University]] and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team in 2001.

Collins played [[college basketball]] for [[Stanford University]] and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team in 2001.

He helped the Nets reach the NBA finals in 2001 but they were swept by the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]. He played 7 seasons with the Nets and he was traded with cash considerations to the [[Memphis Grizzlies]] for Stromile Swift.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/Grizzlies_acquire_center_Jason-256121-1978.html|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Grizzlies acquire center Jason Collins from Nets|publisher=Memphis Grizzlies}}</ref> He played 31 games for the Grizzlies and then he was traded to the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] in an eight-player deal involving [[Kevin Love]] and [[O. J. Mayo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=Love-Mayo-080627|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Timberwolves make out on Mayo-Love swap|publisher=sports.espn.go.com}}</ref> When his contract expired at the end of the 2008–09 NBA season, the Timberwolves didn't re-sign him and he signed with the Atlanta Hawks on September 2, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4441457|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Free agent Jason Collins joins Hawks|publisher=sports.espn.go.com}}</ref> He played 3 seasons with the Hawks and signed an undisclosed deal with the Boston Celtics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/press_release/073112-celtics-sign-jason-collins.html|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Celtics Sign Jason Collins|publisher=Boston Celtics}}</ref> He was traded by the Celtics to the [[Washington Wizards]] on February 21, 2013 for [[Jordan Crawford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-acquire-collins-and-barbosa-boston|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Wizards Acquire Collins and Barbosa From Boston|publisher=Washington Wizards}}</ref>

He helped the Nets reach the NBA finals in 2001 but they were swept by the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]. He played 7 seasons with the Nets and he was traded with cash considerations to the [[Memphis Grizzlies]] for Stromile Swift.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/Grizzlies_acquire_center_Jason-256121-1978.html|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Grizzlies acquire center Jason Collins from Nets|publisher=Memphis Grizzlies}}</ref> He played 31 games for the Grizzlies and then he was traded to the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] in an eight-player deal involving [[Kevin Love]] and [[O. J. Mayo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=Love-Mayo-080627|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Timberwolves make out on Mayo-Love swap|publisher=sports.espn.go.com}}</ref> When his contract expired at the end of the 2008–09 NBA season, the Timberwolves didn't re-sign him and he signed with the Atlanta Hawks on September 2, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4441457|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Free agent Jason Collins joins Hawks|publisher=sports.espn.go.com}}</ref> He played 3 seasons with the Hawks and signed an undisclosed deal with the Boston Celtics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/press_release/073112-celtics-sign-jason-collins.html|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Celtics Sign Jason Collins|publisher=Boston Celtics}}</ref> He was traded by the Celtics to the [[Washington Wizards]] on February 21, 2013 for [[Jordan Crawford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-acquire-collins-and-barbosa-boston|accessdate=2013-04-29|title= Wizards Acquire Collins and Barbosa From Boston|publisher=Washington Wizards}}</ref>

== Personal ==

 

== Personal life and death ==

His twin brother [[Jarron Collins]] also played in the NBA. On April 29, 2013, Collins wrote the cover story of [[Sports Illustrated]] in which he publicly come out as [[gay]].<ref name="SI">{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/|accessdate=2013-04-29|title=Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now|publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]|archive-date=2013-05-01|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6GHMbhb2z?url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He became the first active male professional athlete in any of the four major North American pro sports leagues to come out.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|title=NBA player Jason Collins comes out as gay|date=April 29, 2013|work=bbc.co.uk|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22341153|accessdate=April 29, 2013}}</ref> He said that he chose the jersey number 98 in honor of [[Matthew Shepard]], a victim of a gay [[hate crime]] in 1998. Collins said that the number was "a statement to myself, my family and my friends".<ref name="SI" />

His twin brother [[Jarron Collins]] also played in the NBA. On April 29, 2013, Collins wrote the cover story of [[Sports Illustrated]] in which he publicly come out as [[gay]].<ref name="SI">{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/|accessdate=2013-04-29|title=Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now|publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]|archive-date=2013-05-01|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6GHMbhb2z?url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He became the first active male professional athlete in any of the four major North American pro sports leagues to come out.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|title=NBA player Jason Collins comes out as gay|date=April 29, 2013|work=bbc.co.uk|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22341153|accessdate=April 29, 2013}}</ref> He said that he chose the jersey number 98 in honor of [[Matthew Shepard]], a victim of a gay [[hate crime]] in 1998. Collins said that the number was "a statement to myself, my family and my friends".<ref name="SI" />

In September 2025, Collins was diagnosed with [[brain cancer]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2025 |title=Former NBA player Jason Collins undergoing treatment for brain tumor |url=https://www.nba.com/news/former-nba-player-jason-collins-undergoing-treatment-for-brain-tumor |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=[[National Basketball Association]] |language=en |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

In September 2025, Collins was diagnosed with [[glioblastoma]], an aggressive form of [[brain cancer]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2025 |title=Former NBA player Jason Collins undergoing treatment for brain tumor |url=https://www.nba.com/news/former-nba-player-jason-collins-undergoing-treatment-for-brain-tumor |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=[[National Basketball Association]] |language=en |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> He died from the disease on May 12, 2026 at his home in [[Los Angeles]], California at the age of 47.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 12, 2026 |title=Jason Collins, first openly gay NBA player, dies from cancer at 47 |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48753479/jason-collins-dies-47 |access-date=2026-05-12 |website=ESPN|last=Shelburne|first=Ramona}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=May 12, 2026 |title=Jason Collins, the first active openly gay NBA player, dies at 47 after brain cancer diagnosis |url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/jason-collins-the-first-active-openly-gay-nba-player-dies-at-47-after-brain-cancer-diagnosis-223208759.html |access-date=May 12, 2026 |website=Yahoo Sports |archive-date=May 19, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519081045/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/jason-collins-the-first-active-openly-gay-nba-player-dies-at-47-after-brain-cancer-diagnosis-223208759.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Jason Collins Media ==

== Jason Collins Media ==

<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>

<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>

File:Greg Monroe Jared Sullinger.jpg|Collins (right) and Celtics' teammate [[Jared Sullinger]] (left) defend Detroit's [[Greg Monroe]]

File:Greg Monroe Jared Sullinger.jpg|Collins (right) and Celtics teammate [[Jared Sullinger]] (left) defend Detroit's [[Greg Monroe]]

File:Jason Collins Brooklyn Nets 2014.jpg|Collins [[huddle]]s with the Nets before playing the [[Washington Wizards]] in 2014

File:Jason Collins Brooklyn Nets 2014.jpg|Collins [[huddle]]s with the Nets before playing the [[Washington Wizards]] in 2014

[[Category:Sportspeople from Los Angeles]]

[[Category:Sportspeople from Los Angeles]]

[[Category:Washington Wizards players]]

[[Category:Washington Wizards players]]