Chase Center

Impact Warrior Presented by PG&E. Jason Paul Collins was a groundbreaking basketball player and LGBTQ+ advocate best known as the first active openly gay male athlete in any major American professional sports league. Born in Northridge, California, Collins played with his twin brother, Jarron, in high school and at Stanford University before being drafted into the NBA in 2001. Across a 13-season career, he developed a reputation as a dependable defender for teams including the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards. On April 29, 2013, Collins made history by publicly coming out in a cover essay for Sports Illustrated. Following his retirement in late 2014, Collins dedicated himself to full-time advocacy. Serving as a prominent NBA Cares Ambassador, he led education and inclusion programs across professional basketball to dismantle homophobic locker-room cultures and foster welcoming environments for future athletes. Outside the league, he worked closely with civil rights organizations, lobbied for LGBTQ+ rights legislation, and regularly headlined Pride events nationwide. For his pioneering activism, Collins was named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014 and earned numerous honors, including the GLSEN Courage Award, the Point Foundation Leadership Award, and a posthumous ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. He passed away at age 47 on May 12, 2026, from complications of brain cancer, leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer who redefined representation in professional sports. The Warriors and PG&E would like to thank you for your contributions to the community.