Jason Collins facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the basketball player. For the surfer, see Jason Collins (surfer). For the English field hockey player, see Jason Collins (field hockey).

Quick facts for kids
Jason Collins
Personal information
Collins with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014
Born	(1978-12-02)December 2, 1978 Northridge, California, U.S.
Died	May 12, 2026(2026-05-12) (aged 47) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school	Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, California)
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
College	Stanford (1997–2001)
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Pro career	2001–2014
Career history
2001–2008	New Jersey Nets
2008	Memphis Grizzlies
2008–2009	Minnesota Timberwolves
2009–2012	Atlanta Hawks
2012–2013	Boston Celtics
2013	Washington Wizards
2014	Brooklyn Nets

Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – NABC (2001) Pete Newell Big Man Award (2001) First-team All-Pac-10 (2001) Fourth-team Parade All-American (1997) McDonald's All-American (1997)

Career NBA statistics
Points	2,621 (3.6 ppg)
Rebounds	2,706 (3.7 rpg)
Assists	626 (0.9 apg)

Jason Paul Collins (December 2, 1978 – May 12, 2026) was an American professional basketball player. He played as a center for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jason played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal. He earned special honors as an All-American in 2001.

The Houston Rockets chose Collins in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft. He was the 18th overall pick. He played for several NBA teams. These included the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Atlanta Hawks. He also played for the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets.

After the 2012–13 NBA season, Collins made a significant personal announcement. He became the first active male athlete in major North American professional team sports to share this detail publicly. In February 2014, he signed with the Nets. This made history in professional sports. In 2014, Time magazine featured him. He was named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." Jason Collins passed away on May 12, 2026, at age 47. He had been battling glioblastoma.

Early Life and College
- Growing Up and High School
- Playing at Stanford University
Professional Basketball Career
Player Skills and Impact
Personal Life and Legacy
Health and Passing
Career Statistics
Awards and Recognition
See also

Early Life and College

Growing Up and High School

Jason Collins was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a twin brother named Jarron. Jason was born eight minutes before Jarron. His brother also became an NBA player.

Both brothers went to Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. They won two state championships there. Their team had an amazing record of 123 wins and only 10 losses. Jason set a California record for rebounds with 1,500. A famous actor, Jason Segel, was also on their team.

Playing at Stanford University

Jason and Jarron both played basketball at Stanford University. They played for the Cardinal team. In his first year, Jason got injured and missed most of the season. That year, Stanford reached the Final Four. This was a big achievement for the team.

By his junior year, Jason played in 31 games. He averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds. He helped Stanford win a share of the Pac-10 title. In his senior year, he averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. He was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. He also became a third-team All-American. Stanford won the Pac-10 championship that year. Jason finished his college career with a top record for field goal percentage. He was also third in blocked shots.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting with the New Jersey Nets

Jason Collins began his NBA career with the New Jersey Nets. As a rookie, he helped the Nets reach their first-ever NBA Finals in 2002. They played against the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the starting center for the Nets in the 2002–03 season. He helped them return to the NBA Finals. He averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game that season. Before the 2004–05 season, he signed a new contract with the Nets.

Moving to Other Teams

In 2008, Collins was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Later that year, he moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 2009. He played an important defensive role for the Hawks. In 2011, he helped slow down the Orlando Magic's star center, Dwight Howard. His coach praised his defense.

In 2012, Collins joined the Boston Celtics. He played 32 games for them.

Collins (right) and Celtics teammate Jared Sullinger (left) defend Detroit's Greg Monroe

In 2013, he was traded to the Washington Wizards.

A Historic Return to the Nets

After the 2013 season, Collins made a significant personal announcement. He became a free agent but did not play for a team right away. In February 2014, he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. This made him the first publicly open athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

Collins chose to wear jersey number 98. He picked this number to honor a young man named Matthew Shepard. Matthew Shepard's story inspired many people to promote kindness and acceptance. Proceeds from Collins's jersey sales went to foundations that support acceptance and understanding. He signed with the Nets for the rest of the season. On November 19, 2014, Jason Collins announced his retirement. He had played 13 seasons in the NBA.

Collins huddles with the Nets before playing the Washington Wizards in 2014

Player Skills and Impact

Jason Collins had career averages of 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He was known for his strong defense. He was good at defending the post and setting screens. Coaches valued his ability to follow defensive plans. He was also known as a team leader. His professionalism and intelligence on the court were often praised.

Personal Life and Legacy

Jason Collins married film producer Brunson Green in May 2025.

In 2013, Collins shared an important personal detail about himself. He did this in a story for Sports Illustrated magazine. This made him the first active male athlete in major North American professional team sports to do so. His announcement received widespread support. Many people, including President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton, praised his courage. His story sparked important conversations about acceptance in sports. It was seen as a big step for understanding and inclusion.

Health and Passing

On September 11, 2025, Jason Collins's family announced he was receiving treatment for a brain tumor. On December 11, he shared that he had been diagnosed with "Stage 4 glioblastoma."

Jason Collins passed away at his home in Los Angeles on May 12, 2026. He was 47 years old.

Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA Regular Season Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2001–02	New Jersey	77	9	18.3	.421	.500	.701	3.9	1.1	.4	.6	4.5
2002–03	New Jersey	81	66	23.5	.414	.000	.763	4.5	1.1	.6	.5	5.7
2003–04	New Jersey	78	78	28.5	.424	.000	.739	5.1	2.0	.9	.7	5.9
2004–05	New Jersey	80	80	31.8	.412	.333	.656	6.1	1.3	.9	.9	6.4
2005–06	New Jersey	71	70	26.7	.397	.250	.512	4.8	1.0	.6	.6	3.6
2006–07	New Jersey	80	78	23.1	.364	.000	.465	4.0	.6	.5	.5	2.1
2007–08	New Jersey	43	23	15.9	.426	—	.389	2.1	.4	.3	.2	1.4
2007–08	Memphis	31	3	15.7	.508	.000	.526	2.9	.2	.4	.5	2.6
2008–09	Minnesota	31	22	13.6	.314	—	.464	2.3	.4	.3	.4	1.8
2009–10	Atlanta	24	0	4.8	.348	.000	.000	.6	.2	.1	.1	.7
2010–11	Atlanta	49	28	12.1	.479	1.000	.659	2.1	.4	.2	.2	2.0
2011–12	Atlanta	30	10	10.3	.400	—	.467	1.6	.3	.1	.1	1.3
2012–13	Boston	32	7	10.3	.348	—	.700	1.6	.2	.3	.2	1.2
2012–13	Washington	6	2	9.0	.167	—	1.000	1.3	.3	.3	.7	.7
2013–14	Brooklyn	22	1	7.8	.458	.000	.750	0.9	.2	.4	.0	1.1
Career		735	477	20.4	.411	.206	.647	3.7	.9	.5	.5	3.6

NBA Playoff Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2002	New Jersey	17	0	13.4	.364	—	.658	2.4	.4	.3	.4	2.9
2003	New Jersey	20	20	26.5	.363	.000	.836	6.3	.9	.7	.6	5.9
2004	New Jersey	11	11	24.2	.368	—	.750	4.0	1.5	.3	.9	3.6
2005	New Jersey	4	4	32.0	.235	—	.375	6.5	.3	.5	.0	2.8
2006	New Jersey	11	11	27.5	.360	—	.591	5.0	.3	.5	.2	2.8
2007	New Jersey	12	12	27.4	.571	—	.364	3.3	.2	.6	.3	2.3
2010	Atlanta	3	0	3.3	.600	—	—	1.7	.0	.0	.0	2.0
2011	Atlanta	12	9	13.2	.643	—	.375	1.4	.1	.4	.3	1.8
2012	Atlanta	5	4	17.0	.545	—	—	2.4	.0	.2	.0	2.4
Career		95	71	21.4	.400	.000	.677	3.8	.5	.4	.4	3.3

College Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1997–98	Stanford	1	0	15.0	.250	–	.714	6.0	.0	.0	.0	7.0
1998–99	Stanford	7	0	12.7	.500	–	.478	3.3	.3	.1	.4	4.1
1999–00	Stanford	31	11	19.6	.622	.000	.662	6.1	.1	.2	1.4	8.3
2000–01	Stanford	34	34	26.3	.620	.462	.784	7.8	1.5	.8	1.3	14.5
Career		73	45	22.0	.612	.444	.716	6.6	.8	.5	1.2	10.8

Awards and Recognition

On August 2, 2013, Jason Collins was honored. He was among the first people inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.