Jason Collier

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Jason Jeffrey Collier (September 8, 1977 – October 15, 2005) was a professional basketball player in the NBA. At death, the seven foot tall center Collier weighed 250 lb. He was the first active player in the NBA to die since Malik Sealy in 2000.

Collier led Catholic Central High School of his hometown Springfield, Ohio to the 1996 Ohio State Basketball Championship. After transferring from Indiana, he completed his college career at Georgia Tech and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. He was traded on draft day to the Houston Rockets in exchange for their pick, Joel Przybilla. He then played for the Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 5.6 points per game over his career.

Collier died suddenly at the age of only 28 on October 15, 2005 in Cumming, Georgia. His autopsy indicated that he died because of a "sudden heart rhythm disturbance caused by an abnormally enlarged heart" [1]. It was reported that he experienced shortness of breath before losing consciousness. Medical treatment was performed by emergency medical technicians, but Collier died en route to the hospital.

His jersey #40 was retired by the Atlanta Hawks on December 2, 2005.