Jason Collins (b. 1978)
Birthplace:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Born:
December 2, 1978
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 Cardinals, 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. 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. He became a free agent and did not play again until February 2014, when he signed with the Nets and became the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the major professional sports leagues in the United States. In April 2014, Collins was featured on the cover of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World". Since coming out, Collins has worked towards making sports more inclusive for LGBTQ people. He currently works for the NBA as a community ambassador and believes the league is at the forefront of diversity and conclusion. On August 2, 2013, Collins was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.