NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that Collins’ impact and influence “extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
Silver then extended his condolences to Collins’ husband Brunson Green, his family, and his friends, and added that the storied basketball player will be remembered “not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
‘Unique in his own way’
Jason Paul Collins was born on Dec. 2, 1978, in Los Angeles, eight minutes before his twin brother, Jarron Collins. Their parents, Paul and Portia, were insurance agents, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The twins grew up in the Northridge neighborhood and graduated from the private school Harvard-Westlake. The brothers, who both played basketball, helped win the school back-to-back California Division III titles. Collins also set a state high school rebounding record with 1,500, though another player broke it in 2010.