Jason Collins' Legacy: Estate Planning and Charitable Beneficiaries

Jason Collins, the trailblazing former NBA center who became the league’s first openly gay player, quietly put his affairs in order months before revealing he had cancer, according to newly filed court documents.

The records show Collins left behind personal property valued at more than $1.8 million, with the possibility of additional assets tucked away in private trusts. He signed his will in October 2025, a deliberate step that now reads like a final act of control in a life defined by courage in the public eye.

Collins didn’t just sign a standard set of papers and walk away. The documents reveal he wrote out a separate note and placed it in a safe-deposit box, detailing exactly how his executor should distribute his jewelry, watches, silverware, clothing, cars, and other personal effects. Even in the fine print, he was specific about who should receive the pieces of his life that meant the most.

He named his aunt, Teri, as executor of the estate. If she is unable to serve, the responsibility passes to his husband, William Green, and his brother, former NBA player and coach Jarron Collins, who are listed as alternates. It’s a small snapshot of the inner circle that surrounded him away from the cameras and the headlines.

The beneficiaries span the people who shaped his life and the causes that reflected his public stance. His parents, his brother, a cousin, his husband, and his aunt are all named in the will. Two charities — Glisten and Point Foundation — are also listed as beneficiaries. Both organizations support LGBTQ+ students, aligning directly with the legacy Collins built after coming out while still an active NBA player.

That decision in 2013 made him a landmark figure in American sports, but the final chapter of his life played out largely in private. Collins died on May 12, 2026, following a battle with brain cancer, leaving behind not only a carefully ordered estate, but a blueprint for how an athlete can use both their platform and their final plans to keep fighting for the next generation.