Zach Collins is an NBA player who is recently playing for the San Antonio Spurs as the team’s power forward and center. Collins was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he played for Bishop Gorman High School. He assisted his team to reach the state championship for the 4th round consecutively.
Early Life Before NBA
Collins played basketball since he was in high school. For his first 3 seasons, he was a bench player alongside Stephen Zimmerman and Chase Jeter, who were all included in the McDonald’s All-Americans team. When he reached his senior year, he recorded an average of 17.3 points with 14 rebounds and 6.4 blocks, earning him as the Southwest League’s Most Valuable Player and Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year.
He was also one of the American representatives during the FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Championships, as he teamed up with PJ Washington, Jalek Felton, and Payton Pritchard. Due to their success, their team represent the country again at the World Championship in Hungary, and they reached 8th place.
| Team |
San Antonio Spurs
|
| Position | Power Forward |
| Height / weight | 2.1 m / 113 kg |
| Born | 19 Nov 1997 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | Big Skinny |
| Team History | |
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
2021 - present |
Portland Trail Blazers
|
2017 - 2021 |
Collins was quite popular on his term, as he was rated as a four-star recruit. He also received scholarships and invitations from California, San Diego State, and Gonzaga University, yet chose to enroll at Gonzaga. During his years with Gonzaga, he was working closely with Przemek Karnowski. He was also one of the key players to assist the team in their first-ever national championship game.
NBA Career
Because of his credentials being a basketball player, he decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft, where he was originally selected by the Sacramento Kings. However, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and he proceeded to sign with them. In November 2019, the Blazers announced that Collins will undergo surgery on his left labrum, and he will make his comeback after 4 months. Because of his surgery, he missed the entire season.
In August 2021, Collins decided to sign with the San Antonio Spurs as their power forward and center. By November 2021, the Spurs coach confirmed his third ankle surgery, yet he has been going on court to do a little bit of shooting.
Achievements:
- 2017 WCC All-Freshman Team
- 2017 Second Team All-WCC
