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Writer who helped Jason Collins pen his coming out essay remembers his legacy

NPR | By Michelle Aslam,
Tinbete Ermyas, Ailsa Chang
Published May 13, 2026 at 4:17 PM EDT

Former NBA player Jason Collins died this week at the age of 47. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with journalist Franz Lidz, who helped Collins write his 2013 coming out essay in Sports Illustrated.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Michelle Aslam
Michelle Aslam is a 2021-2022 Kroc Fellow and recent graduate from North Texas. While in college, she won state-wide student journalism awards for her investigation into campus sexual assault proceedings and her reporting on racial justice demonstrations. Aslam previously interned for the North Texas NPR Member station KERA, and also had the opportunity to write for the Dallas Morning News and the Texas Observer.
Tinbete Ermyas
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Ailsa Chang
Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Audie Cornish, and Mary Louise Kelly. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.
See stories by Ailsa Chang

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All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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