Jason Collier, the former Atlanta Hawks and Georgia Tech player who died before the 2005 season, will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. Collier is being honored for his achievements in basketball in the ceremony in Columbus.
Collier, from Springfield, Ohio, led Catholic Central High to the 1996 Ohio Division IV state championship. He was named the Ohio Player of the Year after the season.
Collier, a 7-foot center, had 1,761 points and 1,068 rebounds during his high school career and was selected to the Parade Magazine All-America Second Team. After being heavily recruited, Collier began his college career at Indiana. He transferred to Georgia Tech during his sophomore season.
At Tech, Collier was named to the All-ACC Second Team twice.
Collier was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2000 NBA Draft with the 15th overall pick and immediately traded to the Houston Rockets. After three seasons with the Rockets, Collier joined the Hawks in 2003 and played two seasons. During training camp for his third season, Collier died on Oct. 15, 2015 at home of a sudden heart rhythm disturbance caused by an enlarged heart. Collier averaged 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in his five-year NBA career.
The NBA G League named its Sportsmanship Award after Collier following his death. The Hawks award the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy each season in his honor. It is presented to the individual who best exemplifies the characteristics Collier displayed off the court as a community ambassador. Collier’s wife Katie, daughter Ella and parents Jeff and Joyce Collier attend. Past winners include Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia, Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Mike Muscala, Paul Millsap and Malcolm Delaney.
“Our goal is to have a great representation of Ohio basketball, and that includes high school, all divisions of college basketball, and the professional level. We induct and honor those that were either born in Ohio or contributed to the game here. We are working with universities, individuals, and historians to capture and preserve the legacies of Ohio’s greatest players, coaches and contributors,” Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Executive Director Sheila Fox said in a statement.
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