Jason Collins looks on in the first half during a game between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclays Center on Nov. 19, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Jason Collins looks on in the first half during a game between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclays Center on Nov. 19, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Former Stanford center Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.
He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his 13-year, six-team NBA playing career.
Collins had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, which has an extremely low survival rate. He was 47.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” Collins’ family said in a statement released through the NBA. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
Collins and his twin brother, Jarron, arrived at Stanford as heralded recruits from Southern California’s Harvard Westlake High School in the fall of 1997.
Months later, Stanford reached its first Final Four since 1942 but Jason was merely a spectator. He badly injured his knee in his first game and missed the entire season.
It wasn’t until his junior season that Jason became a presence in the Cardinal’s rotation, but he made the most of his time.
After playing in just eight games his first two seasons on The Farm, Jason made 31 appearances as a junior, including 11 starts. He averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for a team that tied for the Pac-10 championship and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina beat Stanford in the second round.
As a senior, Jason started all 34 games as Stanford earned another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds that season as Stanford went 31-3, won the Pac-10 championship and advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Maryland.
Stanford Jason Collins during the second half at the Pete Newell Challenge benign held at the Oakland Coliseum Arena December 21,2000. (Richard Wisdom/Bay Area News Group archive)
Stanford Jason Collins during the second half at the Pete Newell Challenge benign held at the Oakland Coliseum Arena December 21,2000. (Richard Wisdom/Bay Area News Group archive)
Collins is the school’s all-time leader in field goal shooting at 60.8 percent. He was voted a third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2001, then was the No. 18 pick by Houston in that year’s NBA draft.
“We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It’s hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way,” former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said in a statement. “The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person. I’ll miss him dearly, and my heart goes out to the Collins family, because Sara and I know what it’s like to lose a child.”
Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his brother Jarron accepted for him.
“I told my brother this before I came here: He’s the bravest, strongest man I’ve ever known,” Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.
Stanford general manager and assistant coach Eric Reveno coached the Collins twins on Montgomery’s staff and recalled Jason’s mind as much as his play on the court.
“I loved coaching Jason Collins. He was incredibly talented and tough, with a great big laugh,” Reveno said. “He was also a fabulous teammate, someone who thought deeply about the world and how he could leave it a better place. And, he did that in a way that inspired people around the world. My deepest condolences to his husband, Brunson, and to his entire family. His impact and legacy will continue to shine brightly.”
Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05.
Speaking to a Commonwealth Club crowd at San Francisco’s Castro Theater in 2014, Collins reflected on his career as it neared a close and he transitioned into an ambassador role.
“I used to be able to jump and touch the top of the white square behind the rim with ease,” Collins said. “As the years go by, you watch your hand go lower and lower on that square. Father Time is undefeated against us all. … I’m really grateful for my Stanford degree now. On the other hand, I can still dunk.”
The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
RevContent Feed
Most Popular