Jami Thompson
Jason Collins is the second homosexual athlete to participate in the United States and Canada’s main professional sports leagues. Jason has previously played for the New Jersey Nets, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Early Life, & Education
Collins (full name Jason Paul Collins) was born under the sign of Sagittarius on December 2, 1978. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, to Portia and Paul Collins.
View this post on Instagram
He’s Jarron Collins’ older twin brother, born eight minutes before him. Jarron Collins, Jason’s younger brother, is also a member of the NBA. In fact, he is a former player and assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
Jason Collins went to Los Angeles’ Harvard-Westlake School. As a result, Jason spent four years on the high school basketball team.
Jason also helped the California Interscholastic Federation win two state championships. At the time, he had a 1,500 rebounding career record, which was a California record. Jason Collins went to Stanford University after graduating from high school.
Professional Career
Throughout his career, Collins averaged 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in the NBA. He only averaged seven points or rebounds in a single season.
Initially, he was taken as the 18th overall choice in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.
Jason Collins spent seven years with the New Jersey Nets, and as a rookie, he was a key part of the team’s first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2002. He was a standout starter at center in the 2002-03 season.
Jason Collins was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008 for cash in exchange for Stromile Swift.
However, he only stayed with the Grizzlies for a short time before being moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an eight-player transaction.
The following year, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he remained until the 2010 offseason. Then-Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy dubbed him “the greatest defense on the team all year.”
They traded him to the Boston Celtics after that, then he was traded to the Washington Wizards a year later. He became a free agent and began making plans to rejoin an NBA team.
Awards and Achievements
- National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame – 2013
- Third-team All-American – NABC (2001)
- Pete Newell Big Man Award (2001)
- First-team All-Pac-10 (2001)
- Fourth-team Parade All-American (1997)
You may also read about Michael Jordan
Jason Collins Comes Out as a Gay
Jason Collins is the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American leagues, as we all know. Despite the fact that Jason was aware of his differences from other boys, he did not openly discuss them until 2013
He had kept his secret hidden since he was a child, never telling a soul about it. Indeed, he mentions how he was always treading on a razor’s edge when it came to the secret.
He used to date ladies because he thought it would keep things straight, and if the topic of girls came up, he would avoid it.
He did date girls for a while, but he eventually stopped. When his buddies inquired about his girlfriend, he would respond that she was with someone else.
The First Unspoken Move
Jason Collins took a quiet step towards his identity in 2011. The 2011 NBA lockout caused him to reconsider his position, and as a result, he chose the number ’98 as his starting jersey number.’
For him, this jersey number symbolizes the 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. Most basketball players don’t wear numbers higher than 55 on their jerseys, but Collins picked the number ’98.’
As a result, the Celtics’ manager naturally inquired about the reason. Collins, on the other hand, simply made it up.
As a result, he declares this number to be his “personal declaration to myself, my family, and my friends.”
View this post on Instagram
Coming Out in Public
Jason Collins relayed the news to his aunt first, before telling anyone else. Indeed, it was because of her unwavering support that he was able to open up to his family and brother.
He called his agent, Arn Tellem, and only then prepared for their announcement. Following that, he spoke with John Amaechi, a gay man who came out in 2009.
He chose the first-person story with Sports Illustrated out of all the announcement options, which included TV and news. He had a three-hour-and-45-minute interview that was turned into a tale.
Appraisals And Supports
Jason Collins received a lot of love and support when his announcement went public. Everyone tweeted to show their support for him, from his teammates to renowned players on the field.
Collins also received congratulations calls from Oprah Winfrey, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and then-President Barack Obama on consecutive days.
Similarly, a number of high-ranking websites covered his courageous decision to come out as gay.
On the same day that Sports Illustrated published Jason Collins’ piece, the magazine’s website, SI.com, received 3.7 million visitors.
Post Announcement
It was all smiles and happiness until he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sign with any team. He was also a free agent at the time, and he intended to sign a deal; however, not a single team contacted him.
Collins returned to the Nets in 2014 on a ten-day deal and then for the remainder of the season.
“When I was younger, I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. And I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue. I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation.” -Jason Collins.
Net Worth
Jason Collins has a current net worth of $16 million, with estimated career earnings of $34,341,007.
Collins signed a four-year contract worth $5,330,184 at the entry-level, with an annual salary of $1,332,546.
Following that, he signed a four-year contract worth $23,600,000, with an annual salary of $5,900,000.
Jason made an average of $1,352,181 for a year contract and $82,324 for a ten-day contract.
Jason Collins, on the other hand, portrayed a lucrative Nike endorsement deal. He also serves as a brand ambassador for NBA Cares.
You may also like Jerome Robinson
Jason Collins | Boyfriend
Collins had been in a relationship with Carolyn and had even asked her to marry him, as we all know. He later called off their wedding, but they have no ‘bad blood.’
Following that, he was said to be dating Brunson Green, a LA and Austin-based TV and film producer.
Despite the fact that the news was first made public in 2017, they attended the 2017 Sundance Film Festival together.
View this post on Instagram
Body Measurements
Collins, who is 6-11, is a strong man. When he indicated that he desired 7 feet, he was recorded as 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 meters).
Jason’s weight is 255 pounds (116 kg). He has chocolate-colored skin and a square-shaped face. In the meanwhile, he has black hair and blue eyes. His hair is still fairly thin.
Social Media
Instagram: 6k Followers
Twitter: 92.4k Followers
FAQ’s
What is Jason Collins’ jersey number?
Jason Collins wears the Atlanta Hawks jersey number 34 and the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards jersey number 98.
What happened to Jason Collins?
Collins had a right foot strain while playing for the Hawks. He has missed the last five games due to an injury.
Did Collins test positive for Covid-19?
Collins and his business partner Brunson Green both tested positive for covid-19. He thought he got the coronavirus when visiting New York City for Brooklyn Nets Pride Night.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Jason Paul Collins |
| Date of Birth | December 2, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California |
| Nick Name | Dr. Dunk |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Afro-American |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Age | 43 years old |
| Height | 7 feet (2.13 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Paul Collins |
| Mother’s Name | Portia Collins |
| Siblings | A twin brother, Jarron Collins |
| Education | Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, California) Stanford (1997–2001) |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Fiance | Brunson Green |
| Profession | Former basketball player |
| Profession | Former sprinter |
| Position | Center |
| Affiliations | Naw Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets |
| Retirement Date | November 19, 2014 |
| Active Years | 2001–2014 |
| Net Worth | $16 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
