Today with the Boston Celtics, Jason Paul Collins was born in 1978 in Los Angeles, California. Collins played for the Stanford Cardinals, where he earned third-team NABC All-American and first-team PAC 10 honors in 2001 with the Cardinals. He was selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA Draft, but was immediately traded to the (then) NBA along with Brandon Armstrong and Richard Jefferson. New Jersey Nets sign Eddie Griffin. Collins spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks before signing with the Celtics as a free agent in 2012.
The California native played 32 games with Boston before trading Jordan Crawford with Leandro Barbosa to the Washington Wizards, where he averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Shortly after the season, Collins came out as gay, becoming the first gay athlete to compete in any of the four major North American sports.
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Collins’ decision helps change problematic attitudes toward LGBTQ people in sports.
historical milestones
It was also the date of one of the lowest-scoring games in NBA history, a 46-44 victory over the (now-defunct) Pittsburgh Ironmen.
March 5, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen on the court before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
This game was the third-lowest scoring game in Celtics history and the third-lowest scoring game by an opponent.
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Finally, this was also the day the Celtics waived forward Sly Williams in 1985. Williams, a University of Rhode Island alumnus, was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1979 and played for the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks before joining Boston in 1985.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 17: Confetti covers the Boston Celtics logo during Boston’s 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Notice to User: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, User agrees to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Alas, he didn’t make it through the year.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Collins born; third-lowest scoring game; Williams cuts