Hawks center Collier dies

The 7-0, 260-pound Collier died of a heart attack, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The paper reported Collier experienced chest pains and his wife, Katie, performed CPR and called 911.

Collier played in Atlanta’s preseason win over Charlotte on Wednesday and contributed six points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. The Hawks canceled practice on Saturday.

"Jason and his family are first and foremost in our prayers during this difficult time," Hawks executive vice president and general manager Billy Knight said in a statement. "Jason was a devoted family man who deeply loved his wife Katie, daughter Elezan (Ella), his parents and siblings. He was also a tremendous friend to the Hawks employees who spent time with him, and a hard-working and dedicated teammate to many NBA players over his five seasons in the league. We will truly miss Jason’s personality and his spirit, and he will be in the thoughts and minds of our team and organization forever."

The Georgia Tech product played his first three seasons in the NBA with Houston, averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 boards in 61 games. Collier was entering his third year with the Hawks.

He played a career-high 70 games (44 starts) last season and posted 5.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest.

Collier was selected 15th overall by Milwaukee in the 2000 NBA Draft, but his rights and a draft pick were dealt to the Rockets on June 28, 2000 for center Joel Przybilla.

The Springfield, Ohio native signed with Atlanta as a free agent on July 14, 2004. He had a daughter, Elezan.