LAMAMIMET

Jason Paul Collins was born on December 2, 1978, in Los Angeles and played college basketball at Stanford, where he earned All‑American honors before being selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA draft. He enjoyed a 13‑year career as a center with six franchises, most notably the New Jersey Nets, with whom he reached two NBA Finals and posted career averages of 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

In April 2013, Collins publicly came out as gay, becoming the first active male athlete in the major North American professional sports leagues to do so. His announcement sparked widespread discussion about LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, and he later served as an ambassador for the NBA and received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award for his leadership.

Collins was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in 2025 and died on May 12, 2026, at age 47 after an eight‑month battle with the aggressive brain tumor. He is remembered for breaking barriers, inspiring countless fans, and advancing the cause of equality within and beyond the basketball community.