Jason Collins: Legacy Planning for LGBTQ+ Youth

Jason Collins spent his life breaking ground in public. In private, he made sure the people and causes that shaped him would be protected long after he was gone.

Court documents show the late NBA center — the league’s first openly gay active player — signed a will in October 2025, just months before revealing he had cancer. The filing details an estate that includes more than $1.8 million in personal property, with the possibility of additional assets tucked away in private trusts.

Collins didn’t leave those decisions to chance. The will notes that he wrote out separate instructions and placed them in a safe-deposit box, directing his executor on how to distribute his jewelry, watches, silverware, clothing, cars, and other personal effects. Even in the small things, he wanted clarity.

He put that responsibility first in the hands of family. His aunt, Teri, was named executor of the estate, with his husband, William Green, and his twin brother, former NBA player and current coach Jarron Collins, listed as alternates if she could not serve.

The beneficiaries reflect the tight circle around him. The documents list his parents, his brother, a cousin, his husband, and his aunt as heirs. Two charities also appear: Glisten and Point Foundation, both organizations that support LGBTQ+ students. Collins, who became a symbol of visibility and courage in sports, made sure that part of his legacy would continue to flow directly into that community.

Collins died on May 12, 2026, after a battle with brain cancer. Even as his health failed, the planning he put in place ensured that the values he stood for — family, dignity, and opportunity for LGBTQ+ youth — would outlive him.