:Jason Collins
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1978)}}
{{About|the basketball player|the surfer|Jason Collins (surfer)}}
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{{Use American English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Jason Collins
| image = Jason Collins Nets 2014.jpg
| image_size = 260px
| caption = Collins with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|12|02}}
| birth_place = Northridge, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 7
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 255
| high_school = Harvard-Westlake
(Los Angeles, California)
| college = Stanford (1997–2001)
| draft_year = 2001
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 18
| draft_team = Houston Rockets
| career_start = 2001
| career_end = 2014
| career_position = Center
| career_number = 35, 34, 98, 46
| years1 = {{nbay|2001|start}}–{{nbay|2007|end}}
| team1 = New Jersey Nets
| years2 = {{nbay|2007|end}}
| team2 = Memphis Grizzlies
| years3 = {{nbay|2008|full=y}}
| team3 = Minnesota Timberwolves
| years4 = {{nbay|2009|start}}–{{nbay|2011|end}}
| team4 = Atlanta Hawks
| years5 = {{nbay|2012|full=y}}
| team5 = Boston Celtics
| years6 = {{nbay|2012|end}}
| team6 = Washington Wizards
| years7 = {{nbay|2013|end}}
| team7 = Brooklyn Nets
| highlights =
- Third-team All-American – NABC (2001)
- Pete Newell Big Man Award (2001)
- First-team All-Pac-10 (2001)
- Fourth-team Parade All-American (1997)
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = Points
| stat1value = 2,621 (3.6 ppg)
| stat2label = Rebounds
| stat2value = 2,706 (3.7 rpg)
| stat3label = Assists
| stat3value = 626 (0.9 apg)
}}
Jason Paul Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where he was an All-American in 2000–01. Collins was selected by the Houston Rockets as the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.{{Cite web|date=2020-05-07|title=Jason Collins|url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/LGBTQ/jason-collins|access-date=2021-11-30|website=National Museum of African American History and Culture|language=en|archive-date=November 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130123849/https://nmaahc.si.edu/LGBTQ/jason-collins|url-status=dead}} He went on to play for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets.
After the 2012–13 NBA season concluded, Collins publicly came out as gay.{{Cite news|date=2014-02-24|title=Jason Collins becomes the first openly gay NBA player|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26318063|access-date=2021-11-16}} 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 four major North American pro sports leagues.{{Cite news|last=Keh|first=Andrew|date=2014-02-23|title=Jason Collins, First Openly Gay N.B.A. Player, Signs With Nets and Appears in Game|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/sports/basketball/after-signing-with-nets-jason-collins-becomes-first-openly-gay-nba-player.html|access-date=2021-11-30|issn=0362-4331}} In April 2014, Collins was featured on the cover of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World".{{cite web|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/jason-collins-featured-on-cover-of-time-s-most-influential-people-photo-042414|title=Jason Collins featured on cover of Time's Most Influential People - FOX Sports|date=April 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426020526/http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/jason-collins-featured-on-cover-of-time-s-most-influential-people-photo-042414|archive-date=April 26, 2014}}
Early life
Collins was born in Los Angeles, California, in the Northridge neighborhood. He was born eight minutes ahead of his twin brother Jarron, who also became an NBA player.{{cite web |url=http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4930 |title=Suns get rights to Jarron Collins |work=InsideHoops.com |date=October 26, 2009 |access-date=May 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221220058/http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4930 |archive-date=December 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
Both brothers graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.{{cite news |title=Fastbreak to Silver Screen |date=October 30, 1996 |newspaper=Daily News of Los Angeles |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF77098E8A329AA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM }} He and Jarron won two California Interscholastic Federation state titles during their four-year careers with a combined record of 123–10. Collins broke the California career rebounding record with 1,500.{{cite web|url=http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jason_collins_20991.html|title=Jason Collins|work=GoStanford.com|publisher=Stanford University|access-date=September 23, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615103233/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jason_collins_20991.html|archive-date=June 15, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83862252.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409150331/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83862252.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 9, 2016|title=Boys Basketball: Player of the Year|date=March 31, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News|access-date=April 29, 2013}}{{subscription required}} Collins was backed up by Jason Segel, who USA Today opined might have ended up being the most famous player from the team.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/jason-collins-played-high-school-basketball-actor-jason-145615320.html|title=Jason Collins played high school basketball with Jason Segel|work=sports.yahoo.com|date=April 30, 2013 |publisher=Dan Devine|access-date=April 30, 2013}}
College career
Collins played at Stanford University with brother Jarron for the Cardinal in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10).{{cite news|last=Moore|first=David Leon|title=Collins twins have Stanford standing tall|date=March 20, 2001|newspaper=USA Today|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketba/marchmania/2001mens/stories/2001-03-20-stanford-collins.htm|access-date=April 29, 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Jason Collins |url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/jason-collins |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=National Museum of African American History and Culture |language=en}} In 2001, Collins was named to All-Pac-10 first team,{{cite web |title=Pac-12 Conference 2011–12 Men's Basketball Media Guide |page=120 |publisher=Pac-12 Conference |year=2011 |url=http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/issue/45931 |access-date=February 9, 2012|ref=2011mg}} and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) voted him to their third-team All-American team.{{cite web|url=http://www.nabc.org/awards/all_america/division_I/2000 |title=All-America – Division I (2000's) |work=nabc.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208075156/http://www.nabc.org/awards/all_america/division_I/2000 |archive-date=December 8, 2013 |url-status=live }}
He finished his college career ranked first in Stanford history for field goal percentage (.608) and third in blocked shots (89).{{cite web|url=http://pac-12.com/Sports/LacrosseW/Headlines/tabid/159/Article/13788/stanfords-jason-collins-declares-for-the-nba-draft.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615060924/http://pac-12.com/Sports/LacrosseW/Headlines/tabid/159/Article/13788/stanfords-jason-collins-declares-for-the-nba-draft.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2013|title=Stanford's Jason Collins Declares For The NBA Draft|work=pac-12.com|date=May 7, 2001|access-date=May 11, 2013}}
Professional career
=New Jersey Nets (2001–2008)=
As a rookie along with Richard Jefferson, Collins played a significant role in the New Jersey Nets' first-ever NBA Finals berth in 2002 against the Los Angeles Lakers. 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.{{cite news|author=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/15/sports/basketball/15TALL.html?ex=1215057600&en=671895dcce8484c0&ei=5070 |title=Tall Tales in N.B.A. Don't Fool Players |work=The New York Times |date=June 15, 2003 |access-date=April 29, 2013}} He was measured 6 ft 10¼ in at the 2001 NBA combine.{{cite web|url=http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jason-Collins-2028/|title=DraftExpressProfile: Jason Collins, Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook}}
In the 2002–03 NBA season Collins took over the starting center role for the Nets and helped the franchise back to the NBA Finals.{{Cite web |last=Wallach |first=Reed |date=2014-02-23 |title=A look at Jason Collins' play in New Jersey |url=https://www.netsdaily.com/2014/2/23/5439812/a-look-at-how-jason-collins-played-with-the-new-jersey-nets |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=NetsDaily |language=en}} 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.[http://www.interbasket.net/news/16518/2014/11/jason-collins-gay-retires/ "Jason Collins: First Active Gay NBA Player Retires"]. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
=Memphis Grizzlies (2008)=
On February 4, 2008, Collins was traded along with cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzlies for Stromile Swift.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/Grizzlies_acquire_center_Jason-256121-1978.html |title=Grizzlies acquire center Jason Collins from Nets |work=NBA.com |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}
= Minnesota Timberwolves (2008–2009) =
On June 26, 2008, Collins was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an eight-player deal involving Kevin Love and O. J. Mayo.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?id=3462594 |title=Bulls go for Rose over Beasley in NBA draft; Mayo, Love swap places |publisher=ESPN |date=June 26, 2008 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}
= Atlanta Hawks (2009–2012) =
Collins signed with the Atlanta Hawks on September 2, 2009.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111401693/7-footer-collins-signs-one-year-deal/ |title=7-footer Collins signs one-year deal | first=Sekou |last=Smith |author-link=Sekou Smith |work=Atlanta Constitution |page=C3 |department=Sports |date=September 3, 2009 |accessdate=October 16, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} Collins re-signed with the Hawks in the 2010 offseason.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/Collins_PR_071910.html |title=Atlanta Hawks Re-Sign Jason Collins |work=NBA.com |date=July 29, 2010 |access-date=April 29, 2013}} In 2010–11, the fifth-seeded Hawks defeated the fourth-seeded Orlando Magic as Collins slowed the Magic's dominant center, Dwight Howard. After Game 4 in the series, then-Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy called Collins' play "the best defense on [Howard] all year".{{cite news|last=Haberstroh|first=Tom|title=Jason Collins a no-stats All-Star|date=April 30, 2013|work=ESPN.com|url=https://insider.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/9226929/nba-jason-collins-no-stats-all-star|access-date=May 3, 2013}}{{subscription required}}
= Boston Celtics (2012–2013) =
File:Greg Monroe Jared Sullinger.jpg (left) defend Detroit's Greg Monroe]]
On July 31, 2012, Collins signed a contract with the Boston Celtics.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/press_release/073112-celtics-sign-jason-collins.html |title=Celtics Sign Jason Collins|work=NBA.com |date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=February 21, 2013}}{{Cite web |date=2012-07-31 |title=C's announce four signings |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4696711/cs-announce-four-signings |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
= Washington Wizards (2013) =
On February 21, 2013, Collins and Leandro Barbosa were traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Crawford.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-acquire-collins-and-barbosa-boston |title=Wizards Acquire Collins and Barbosa From Boston |work=NBA.com |date=February 21, 2013 |access-date=February 21, 2013}}{{Cite web |last=Manfred |first=Tony |title=The Washington Wizards Traded Away Their Third-Leading Scorer For Almost Nothing |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/celtics-trade-jordan-crawford-barbosa-2013-2 |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
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.{{cite news|last=Golliver |first=Ben |title=Nets' Jason Collins becomes first openly gay player in NBA |date=February 24, 2014 |work=SI.com |url=http://nba.si.com/2014/02/23/jason-collins-gay-nba-player-nets-lakers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224111348/http://nba.si.com/2014/02/23/jason-collins-gay-nba-player-nets-lakers/ |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=live }} Collins became a free agent in July 2013, and stated that he intended to pursue another contract.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/sports/basketball/nba-center-jason-collins-comes-out-as-gay.html?_r=0 |title=N.B.A. Center Jason Collins Comes Out as Gay |work=The New York Times|date=April 29, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2013}} He was not invited by any team to training camp, but he worked out at his home waiting for an opportunity.
= Return to the Nets (2014) =
On February 23, 2014, Collins signed a 10-day contract to rejoin the Nets, who had since moved to Brooklyn.{{cite news|title=Nets Sign Jason Collins to 10-Day Contract|date=February 23, 2014|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/news/nets-sign-jason-collins-10-day-contract|access-date=February 23, 2014}} Nets coach Jason Kidd, who became good friends with Collins while teammates in New Jersey from 2001 to 2008, was an advocate of signing Collins.{{cite news|last=Keh |first=Andrew |title=Jason Collins Signs With Nets, Becoming First Openly Gay N.B.A. Player |date=February 23, 2014 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/sports/basketball/after-signing-with-nets-jason-collins-becomes-first-openly-gay-nba-player.html?_r=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406150500/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/sports/basketball/after-signing-with-nets-jason-collins-becomes-first-openly-gay-nba-player.html?_r=1 |archive-date=April 6, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|last1=Wojnarowski |first1=Adrian |last2=Spears |first2=Marc |title=Nets sign Jason Collins, NBA's first openly gay player |date=February 23, 2014 |work=yahoo.com |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/nets-sign-jason-collins-nba-first-openly-gay-172051031--nba.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225010116/http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/nets-sign-jason-collins-nba-first-openly-gay-172051031--nba.html |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |url-status=live }} Collins played 11 minutes that night against the Lakers at the Staples Center, becoming the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.{{cite news |last=Pincus |first=Eric |title=Lakers' rally falls short in 108–102 loss to Nets |date=February 23, 2014 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-vs-brooklyn-nets-game-updates-20140223,0,4252513,full.story#axzz2uDNgcrc8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224182637/http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-vs-brooklyn-nets-game-updates-20140223,0,4252513,full.story#axzz2uDNgcrc8 |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 24, 2014 }}{{cite news|title=Openly gay basketballer Jason Collins signs landmark NBA deal with Brooklyn Nets |date=February 24, 2014 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |agency=AFP |url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/openly-gay-basketballer-jason-collins-signs-landmark-nba-deal-with-brooklyn-nets-20140224-33b6r.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305105523/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/openly-gay-basketballer-jason-collins-signs-landmark-nba-deal-with-brooklyn-nets-20140224-33b6r.html |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|last=Mazzeo |first=Mike |title=Rapid Reaction: Nets 108, Lakers 102 |date=February 23, 2014 |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/16463/rapid-reaction-nets-108-lakers-102 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224202043/http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/16463/rapid-reaction-nets-108-lakers-102 |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=live }} Collins wore jersey number 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, whose 1998 murder was widely reported as a hate crime and ultimately led to the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. 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, and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/driadonnaroland/nba-will-donate-sales-of-jason-collins-jersey-to-lgbt-groups|title=NBA Will Donate Sales Of Jason Collins' Jersey To LGBT Groups|website=BuzzFeed.com|date=March 2014 }}
File:Jason Collins Brooklyn Nets 2014.jpgs with the Nets before playing the Washington Wizards in 2014]]
On March 5, 2014, Collins signed a second 10-day contract with the Nets.{{cite news|title=Nets Sign Jason Collins to a Second 10-Day Contract|date=March 5, 2014|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/news/nets-sign-jason-collins-second-10-day-contract|access-date=March 5, 2014}}{{cite news|title=Nets sign Jason Collins again|date=March 5, 2014|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10554963/brooklyn-nets-officially-ink-jason-collins-2nd-10-day-deal|access-date=March 5, 2014}} On March 15, 2014, Collins signed with the Nets for the rest of the season.{{cite news|title=Nets Sign Jason Collins for Remainder of the Season|date=March 15, 2014|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/news/nets-sign-jason-collins-remainder-season|access-date=March 15, 2014}}
On November 19, 2014, Collins announced his retirement from professional basketball after 13 seasons in the NBA.{{cite news|last=Collins|first=Jason|title=Parting shot: Jason Collins announces NBA retirement in his own words|date=November 19, 2014|work=SI.com|url=https://www.si.com/nba/2014/11/19/jason-collins-retirement-nba|access-date=November 19, 2014}}{{Cite news |last=Felt |first=Hunter |date=2014-11-20 |title=Jason Collins, first openly gay player, retires: our indifference is his triumph |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/20/jason-collins-gay-nba-player-retires |access-date=2023-08-07 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |date=2014-11-19 |title=Jason Collins, the N.B.A.'s First Openly Gay Player, Retires (Published 2014) |work=The New York Times |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/sports/basketball/jason-collins-nbas-first-openly-gay-player-announces-his-retirement.html |access-date=2023-08-07 |last1=Keh |first1=Andrew }}
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 community valued his defense through measurements not typically found in a boxscore. Collins was a physical player defending the post, boxed out well, and excelled at setting screens. 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,{{Cite web |date=2013-07-08 |title=Cosmo Exclusive: Jason Collins Is My Ex-Fiancé—and I Had No Idea He Was Gay |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/news/a4547/jason-collins-is-my-ex-fiance/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}} and the two were engaged to be married, but Collins called off the wedding in 2009.{{cite web|first=Curtis |last=Rush |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/2013/05/01/nbas_jason_collins_former_fiance_carolyn_moos_says_gay_announcement_a_lot_to_process.html |title=NBA's Jason Collins' former fiancée Carolyn Moos says gay announcement 'a lot to process' |work=Toronto Star |date=May 1, 2013 |access-date=May 2, 2013}}{{Cite web |date=2013-04-30 |title=Jason Collins' Ex-Fiancee Speaks On His Coming Out |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/carolyn-moos-jason-collins-fiancee-gay_n_3186736 |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}
=Coming out=
In the cover story of the May 6, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated, a first person story by Collins with journalist Franz Lidz,"[https://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/04/29/jason-collins-gay-nba-player "Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now"], Franz Lidz 04.29.13 - Sports Illustrated"[https://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/04/29/jason-collins-reveals-gay-nba-story "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 as gay, becoming the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional team sports to publicly do so.{{cite news|title=Reaction to Jason Collins' announcement |date=April 29, 2013 |work=ESPN.com |url=http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/9223792/reaction-jason-collins-announcement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502003048/http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/9223792/reaction-jason-collins-announcement |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}{{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|access-date=April 29, 2013}} 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 in 1998, led him to choose "98" for his jersey number, in Shepard's honor. Collins called the number "a statement to myself, my family and my friends."{{cite news|first1=Jason |last1=Collins |last2=Franz |first2=Lidz |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/ |title=Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now |work=SI.com |date=April 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502000944/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/ |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}
Following his announcement, Collins has received high praise and support for deciding to publicly reveal that he is gay. Fellow NBA star Kobe Bryant praised his decision, as did others from around the league, including NBA commissioner David Stern. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former president Bill Clinton, and Collins' corporate sponsor Nike were also among those offering their praise and support for Collins. However, ESPN basketball analyst Chris Broussard 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".{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=Houston|title=Chris Broussard clarifies his ESPN remarks about Jason Collins|date=April 30, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-chris-broussard-jason-collins-20130430,0,4496676.story|access-date=May 3, 2013}} 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."{{cite news|last=Bruni|first=Frank|title=Q&A with Jason Collins|date=April 30, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|url=http://bruni.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/qa-with-jason-collins/|access-date=April 30, 2013}} The Guardian called it significant for LGBTQ acceptance "as professional sports had long been seen as the final frontier."{{cite news|last=Felt |first=Hunter |title=Why Jason Collins matters |date=April 30, 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/apr/30/jason-collins-comes-out-why-matters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501020950/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/apr/30/jason-collins-comes-out-why-matters |archive-date=May 1, 2013 |url-status=live }} Given the interest in major league team sports in the United States, The Christian Science Monitor 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.{{cite news|last=Grier |first=Peter |title=NBA's Jason Collins comes out: What does that mean for gay rights? |date=April 29, 2013 |work=yahoo.com |agency=The Christian Science Monitor |url=https://news.yahoo.com/nbas-jason-collins-comes-does-mean-gay-rights-171515452.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502003556/http://news.yahoo.com/nbas-jason-collins-comes-does-mean-gay-rights-171515452.html |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |url-status=live }} Former tennis player Martina Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian in 1981, called Collins a "game-changer" for team sports, which she referred to as one of the last areas where homophobia remained.{{cite news|last=Navratilova |first=Martina |title=Martina Navratilova: Jason Collins a 'game-changer' |date=April 29, 2013 |work=SI.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/martina-navratilova-jason-collins-reaction/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501214657/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/martina-navratilova-jason-collins-reaction/ |archive-date=May 1, 2013 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|last=Wertheim |first=Jon |title=A reluctant trailblazer, Navratilova laid groundwork for Collins |date=April 30, 2013 |work=SI.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130430/jason-collins-martina-navratilova/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502180118/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130430/jason-collins-martina-navratilova/ |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}
Collins' former fiancée, Carolyn Moos, expressed conflicted feelings and said she only learned Collins was gay shortly before the Sports Illustrated cover story.{{Cite web |date=2013-07-08 |title=Jason Collins' ex-fiancée tells her side of the story |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/07/jason-collins-fiancee-cosmopolitan-carolyn-moos |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}
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 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.{{cite news|last=Keh |first=Andrew |title=Collins's Brooklyn Debut Recalls Robinson's in 1947 |date=March 2, 2014 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/sports/basketball/jason-collins-brooklyn-debut-recalls-jackie-robinsons-in-1947.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306145949/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/sports/basketball/jason-collins-brooklyn-debut-recalls-jackie-robinsons-in-1947.html?_r=0 |archive-date=March 6, 2014 |url-status=live }}
Since June 2014, Collins has been in a relationship with film producer Brunson Green.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/fashion/billie-jean-king-and-jason-collins-on-being-gay-athletes.html|title=Speak Your Own Truth, on Your Own Terms|work=The New York Times|last=Galanes|first=Philip|date=June 27, 2014|access-date=July 3, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-collins-is-dating-help-673347|title=Jason Collins Is Dating 'The Help' Producer Brunson Green|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 23, 2014|last1=Ginsberg|first1=Merle|last2=Baum|first2=Gary|access-date=December 5, 2015}}{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CGRVH0whuw4/?igshid=jmb0ogvx7s45 | title=Jason Collins on Instagram: "7 years later... 😘🥰❤️ #HappyAnniversaryBoo #Love" }} The pair married in May of 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/27/nba-player-jason-collins-marries-partner/|title=First out gay NBA player Jason Collins marries long-time partner|work=PinkNews|date=May 27, 2025|access-date=May 27, 2025}}
NBA career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=Regular season=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2001}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 77 || 9 || 18.3 || .421 || .500 || .701 || 3.9 || 1.1 || .4 || .6 || 4.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2002}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 81 || 66 || 23.5 || .414 || .000 || .763 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .6 || .5 || 5.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2003}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 78 || 78 || 28.5 || .424 || .000 || .739 || 5.1 || 2.0 || .9 || .7 || 5.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2004}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 80 || 80 || 31.8 || .412 || .333 || .656 || 6.1 || 1.3 || .9 || .9 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2005}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 71 || 70 || 26.7 || .397 || .250 || .512 || 4.8 || 1.0 || .6 || .6 || 3.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2006}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 80 || 78 || 23.1 || .364 || .000 || .465 || 4.0 || .6 || .5 || .5 || 2.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2007}}
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 43 || 23 || 15.9 || .426 || {{sort|-|—}} || .389 || 2.1 || .4 || .3 || .2 || 1.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2007}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Memphis
| 31 || 3 || 15.7 || .508 || .000 || .526 || 2.9 || .2 || .4 || .5 || 2.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2008}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota
| 31 || 22 || 13.6 || .314 || {{sort|-|—}} || .464 || 2.3 || .4 || .3 || .4 || 1.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2009}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 24 || 0 || 4.8 || .348 || .000 || .000 || .6 || .2 || .1 || .1 || .7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2010}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 49 || 28 || 12.1 || .479 || 1.000 || .659 || 2.1 || .4 || .2 || .2 || 2.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2011}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 30 || 10 || 10.3 || .400 || {{sort|-|—}} || .467 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || .1 || 1.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2012}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 32 || 7 || 10.3 || .348 || {{sort|-|—}} || .700 || 1.6 || .2 || .3 || .2 || 1.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2012}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Washington
| 6 || 2 || 9.0 || .167 || {{sort|-|—}} || 1.000 || 1.3 || .3 || .3 || .7 || .7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2013}}
| style="text-align:left;"|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
{{s-end}}
=Playoffs=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2002
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 17 || 0 || 13.4 || .364 || {{sort|-|—}} || .658 || 2.4 || .4 || .3 || .4 || 2.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2003
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 20 || 20 || 26.5 || .363 || .000 || .836 || 6.3 || .9 || .7 || .6 || 5.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2004
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 11 || 11 || 24.2 || .368 || {{sort|-|—}} || .750 || 4.0 || 1.5 || .3 || .9 || 3.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2005
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 4 || 4 || 32.0 || .235 || {{sort|-|—}} || .375 || 6.5 || .3 || .5 || .0 || 2.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2006
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 11 || 11 || 27.5 || .360 || {{sort|-|—}} || .591 || 5.0 || .3 || .5 || .2 || 2.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2007
| style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey
| 12 || 12 || 27.4 || .571 || {{sort|-|—}} || .364 || 3.3 || .2 || .6 || .3 || 2.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2010
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 3 || 0 || 3.3 || .600 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 1.7 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 2.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2011
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 12 || 9 || 13.2 || .643 || {{sort|-|—}} || .375 || 1.4 || .1 || .4 || .3 || 1.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2012
| style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta
| 5 || 4 || 17.0 || .545 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 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
{{s-end}}
Awards
On August 2, 2013, Collins was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite news|url=http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2013/06/18/national-gay-lesbian-sports-hall-fame-chicago |title=National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame's Inaugural Class Announced | Out Magazine |publisher=Out.com |date=June 18, 2013 |access-date=December 5, 2013}}{{Cite web |date=2013-08-01 |title=Gay, lesbian sports hall of fame honors athletes - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gay-lesbian-sports-hall-of-fame-honors-athletes/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}
See also
{{Portal|Biography|LGBTQ|Sports}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Jason Collins}}
{{basketballstats|nba=2215|bbr=c/collija04}}
- [https://archive.today/20130615103233/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jason_collins_20991.html Stanford Cardinal bio]
- {{Twitter}}
{{Pete Newell Big Man Award}}
{{2001 NBA draft}}
{{VH1 Trailblazer Honors}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Jason}}
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:African-American Christians
Category:African-American LGBTQ people
Category:All-American college men's basketball players
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Category:Basketball players from Los Angeles
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Category:Brooklyn Nets players
Category:Harvard-Westlake School alumni
Category:Houston Rockets draft picks
Category:Inductees of the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame
Category:LGBTQ basketball players
Category:LGBTQ people from California
Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans
Category:Memphis Grizzlies players
Category:New Jersey Nets players
Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)