Quote:ATLANTA (Ticker) - All of a sudden the start of the upcoming season does not appear too important for the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks were stunned Saturday by the death of center Jason Collier due to cardiac arrest. He was 28.

According to initial reports, the 7-foot Collier died in his sleep Saturday morning.

"Jason and his family are first and foremost in our prayers during this difficult time," Hawks vice president and general manager Billy Knight said. "Jason was a devoted family man who deeply loved his wife Katie, daughter Elezan, 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."

Collier, who scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in 16 minutes of the Hawks' 109-105 preseason victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday, was entering his sixth NBA season and third with Atlanta.

The club informed the players about his death prior to canceling an open practice scheduled for Saturday.

Collier, who played two college seasons locally at Georgia Tech, appeared in a career-high 70 games with the Hawks last season, averaging 5.7 points and 2.6 rebounds.