"Is this April fool's day joke?" No, it isn't. Do you know how you can tell? It's October. R.I.P Jason. We hardly knew you.
my boy JC. we talked about GT dorms together. you kicked ass in the nba, and at tech. rippin it up baby
Wow... RIP man. Hey wait... I'm turning 28 in like 3 weeks. Man that's really too young. Hate to see a guy like him die. He seemed to be a cool dude. Mike
This really is a sad and shocking development! This just goes to show you that anything can happen to anyone at any time. I am sure all eyes will be on Eddy Curry now..... My prayers are with the Collier family.
never fails that someone will eventually make a fool out of themselves in threads like these RIP Jason ...may God bless your family
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3398406 Ex-Rocket Collier dies in Atlanta at 28 Team officials recall 7-footer's humor, hard work By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle COLLIER'S CAREER Drafted by Milwaukee with 15th overall pick in 2000, then shipped to the Rockets in a prearranged deal. • Averaged 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 151 games with Rockets and Hawks. • Missed games because of knee surgery (2000), quad-riceps tendinitis and inflammation of his thigh bone (2001), and bronchitis (2004). • Played for Bob Knight at Indiana before transferring to Georgia Tech in 1998. Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier, who joined the Rockets as a first-round pick in 2000, died early Saturday in Atlanta. He was 28. Collier's father, Jeff, told the Associated Press that his son had difficulty breathing at home and died in an ambulance. He said Collier's wife, Katie, performed CPR. After initially reporting that Collier died of a heart attack, Hawks officials said the cause of death was not known. Autopsy results are expected to be released today. Hawks general manager Billy Knight told the AP that Collier, who went out to dinner with his wife on Friday, had "no issues" in a preseason physical. Rockets players and officials described Collier as a kind, driven, endlessly funny friend who was devoted to his wife and daughter, Elezan. 'Family first' "He was a family guy, always family first," Rockets strength and conditioning coach Dave Maha said. "He loved his wife, loved his kid, loved his family. He was always talking about that. ... He was very self-deprecating. He thought he was blessed to play." Rockets trainer Keith Jones said the 7-footer was "one of the funniest people you ever met." "He was happy to be in the NBA, but that wasn't good enough for him," Jones said. "He worked. He knew he was going to have to work harder than the next guy. Physical skills, he didn't have what some of the other guys had. He was going to have to work harder, and he was willing to do that." Limited by knee injuries and then the arrival of Yao Ming, Collier played sparingly for the Rockets for three seasons but worked his way back to the NBA through the National Basketball Development League. "(He was) just a hard-working kid that kept his mouth shut. Sensitive guy," said Rockets guard Jon Barry, who played with Collier two seasons ago in Atlanta. "My heart goes out to his whole family. It's just a tragedy. He was a super nice guy. That's all you can say. I don't think anyone would ever have a bad word to say about Jason." Breaking bread with Yao Yao said he found himself remembering his first meal with an NBA teammate. Collier, Maha and former Rockets strength coach Anthony Falsone insisted Yao join them. "I remember my first game was here, my first preseason game," Yao said Saturday in San Antonio. "It was the first night I got here. He took me to the Hard Rock on the River Walk. ... I'm really upset about this. I can't believe it. Life is very fragile." Funeral arrangements were incomplete. "He would have wanted this to be a quiet thing," said his father, like Collier a former Georgia Tech player. "Instead of people being grim, he wants them laughing."
Not to mention that Jason was among the best couple hundred basketball players on the planet. Most of us only wish we could be that good. RIP, Jason.
Well, you've proved that he was a better person than you. Ass. RIP Jason. It's always sad to see someone go at such an early age. My prayers are with your wife, daugther and the rest of your family.
I feel like an a-hole now for hating his game so much and making fun of him all the time. The guy gave it his all on the court though. 28 is too young to die. RIP
I am having a hard time pushing out of my mind all the harsh and cruel things that were said about Collier here during his tenure in Houston. This is a real life's lesson.
