Jason Paul Collins
Jason Paul
Collins is an American professional basketball center with the Washington
Wizards of the National Basketball Association. Collins attended Stanford
University, where he was an All-American in 2000–01. Wikipedia
Born:
December 2, 1978 (age 34), Los Angeles
Team: Washington
Wizards (#98 / Center)
Siblings:
Jarron Collins
Education:
Stanford University, Harvard-Westlake School
Professional career
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. 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. Collins signed
with the Atlanta Hawks on September 2, 2009.[11] Collins re-signed with the
Hawks in the 2010 offseason.[12]
On July
31, 2012, Collins signed an undisclosed deal with the Boston Celtics.[13] On
February 21, 2013, Collins and Leandro Barbosa were traded to the Washington
Wizards in exchange for Jordan Crawford.[14]
Collins'
twin brother, Jarron Collins, also played in the NBA.[16]
“I didn’t
set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team
sport,” Collins wrote. The first wave of public reaction to Collins’s
announcement was overwhelmingly positive. President Obama called Collins “to
express his support and said he was impressed by his courage,” according to a
White House official. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, former NFL star and
current daytime TV talk host Michael Strahan and former president Bill Clinton
were among others who issed public salutes to Collins.
Even amid
widespread speculation that one or more male athletes would soon break the
sexuality barrier — former Ravens safety Brendon Ayanbadejo suggested in recent
interviews that one or more NFL players were preparing to come out — Collins’s
announcement stunned people around the NBA, including his Wizards teammates. Several
of them said they had no inclination Collins was gay.
about : Jason Paul Collins
about : Jason Paul Collins
