NBA player Jason Collins, who on Sunday became the first openly gay athlete to participate in a major American pro sport, has worn the number 98 the past two seasons for a very personal reason: To honor Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was viciously beaten to death in 1998.

In a poignant Thursday night meeting, Collins presented Shepard's parents with a Brooklyn Nets number 98 jersey of their own.

Collins began wearing the number 98 in 2012, keeping it as a member of the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards before joining the Nets. He chose the number before publicly coming out, which he did while an NBA free agent in April by penning a first-person article for Sports Illustrated. He made sports and LGBT history on Sunday when the Nets signed him to a 10-day contract, which could later be renewed or extended.

Since becoming available for purchase on Tuesday of this week, Collins has had the NBA's hottest-selling jersey, moving more units than the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. After Thursday's road game against the Denver Nuggets, Collins met with Matthew Shepard's brother, Logan, and parents, Judy and Dennis, in private for about 15 minutes, according to the Denver Post.

"(Collins) is very kind, smart and humble. It was delightful," Judy told the paper.

"It was very cool," she added about his jersey gift. "Very kind and thoughtful."

Collins shared a photo from the meeting on Twitter:

I'm so fortunate to have met Matthew Shepard's parents and brother tonight after @BrooklynNets win tonight in Denver pic.twitter.com/PL6k4TvDsW

— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins34) February 28, 2014

Shepard, who was targeted for being gay, was tortured and left tied to a fence to die. He was found and taken to a hospital, where he remained in a coma for five days before dying. Collins explained the number 98's significance in his coming-out story for Sports Illustrated in April.

"The number has great significance to the gay community," Collins wrote. "When I put on my jersey I was making a statement to myself, my family and my friends."

Now he makes the same statement with that number 98 jersey — whether as the NBA's most popular piece of fan merchandise, or as a poignant gift to the parents of a slain LGBT icon.

50 Amazing Sports Photos From 2013

1. 1. Jamaica's Usain Bolt wins the 100-meter final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow on Aug. 11 as lightning strikes in the sky above Luzhniki Stadium.

   Image: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

2. 2. LeBron James moments before leading the Miami Heat to a win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals on June 3.

   Image: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

3. 3. Pro lacrosse player Stephen Berger of the New York Lizards gets encouragement from young fans before a May 31 game.

   Image: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

4. 4. Gabriel Gonzaga employs a guillotine choke submission against Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight MMA fight on Jan. 19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

   Image: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

5. 5. Uruguay takes on Italy for 3rd place at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil on June 30.

   Image: Handout/Shaun Botterill/FIFA via Getty Images

6. 6. Jarrett Jack of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a basket as fans go wild during a Feb. 22 game against the San Antonio Spurs.

   Image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

7. 7. Major League Baseball rookies George Kottaras of the Kansas City Royals and Robbie Ross of the Texas Rangers compete in a cow milking contest on June 1.

   Image: Rick Yeatts/Getty Images

8. 8. Sergy Nazin of Russia competes in the world diving championships as Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Família cathedral looms in the background on July 28.

   Image: Al Bello/Getty Images

9. 9. Baseball fans display the full range of human emotion while trying to catch an Aug. 28 foul ball at Fenway Park.

   Image: Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

10. 10. Halima Hachlaf of Morocco lies on the track after competing in the women's 800-meter semifinals IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow on Aug. 16.

    Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

11. 11. Boats zip between Alcatraz Island and the San Francisco skyline during the fifth race of the America's Cup Finals on Sept. 10.

    Image: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

12. 12. Yekaterina Rudenko of Kazakhstan competes at the International Swimming Federation championships in Barcelona on July 31.

    Image: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

13. 13. The United States takes on Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifying match amid driving snow on March 22 in Commerce City, Colo.

    Image: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

14. 14. Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning the Australian Open over Andy Murray on Jan. 27.

    Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

15. 15. Notre Dame running back Cam McDaniel hilariously maintains perfect composure while getting tackled after losing his helmet on Oct. 19.

    Image: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

16. 16. A prosthetic leg stands alone by the pool during the International Paralympic Committee's world swimming championship on Aug. 15.

    Image: Charles Laberge/Getty Images

17. 17. David Luiz of Brazil is ecstatic after a teammate's goal during the Confederations Cup on June 15.

    Image: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

18. 18. Japanese officials react after Tokyo is awarded the 2020 Olympics at an announcement ceremony in Buenos Aires.

    Image: Ian Walton/Getty Images

19. 19. Danny Garcia lands a bloody punch on Zab Judah during their championship boxing match on April 27.

    Image: Elsa/Getty Images

20. 20. Zafar Gohar of Pakistan and Ben Duckett of England face off in an international under-19 cricket match on Aug. 19.

    Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

21. 21. An alligator guards the 14th fairway at an April 25 golf tournament in Avondale, La.

    Image: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

22. 22. A Boston police officer at Fenway Park loses himself in the moment, celebrating a Red Sox home run in a come-from-behind win during the MLB playoffs on Oct. 13.

    Image: Al Bello/Getty Images

23. 23. Butler coach Brad Stevens endures a moment of agony after a ref's whistle during the NCAA Tournament on March 23.

    Image: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

24. 24. The Saints logo lines up perfectly behind quarterback Drew Brees at the Superdome in New Orleans on Sept. 8.

    Image: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

25. 25. Maria Sharapova plays a backhand during the Australian Open quarterfinals on Jan. 22.

    Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images

26. 26. A man watches the Brazilian national soccer team from a favela bar in Rio de Janeiro on June 9.

    Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

27. 27. Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago just beats American Michael Tinsley in the world 400-meter hurdles championship in Moscow on Aug. 15.

    Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

28. 28. Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman greets the crowd before the Boston Bruins' NHL playoff game on May 4.

    Image: Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

29. 29. Fred Jackson after scoring a touchdown for the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 1.

    Image: Rick Stewart/Getty Images

30. 30. Man versus bull at the National Rodeo Finals on Australia's Gold Coast on June 16.

    Image: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

31. 31. Parrish Cox of the 49ers is a lonely man amid the Ravens' victory celebration following Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3.

    Image: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

32. 32. Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium during a college football game on Sept. 21.

    Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

33. 33. Carmelo Anthony sails into the crowd while chasing a loose ball for the New York Knicks during a May 1 playoff game.

    Image: Al Bello/Getty Images

34. 34. Ryan Mathews runs from defenders during an NFL game on Nov. 17.

    Image: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

35. 35. A Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader performs during a game on Sept. 15.

    Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

36. 36. Double amputee Chris Moon runs in the 135-mile Badwater ultra-marathon race on July 15 in Death Valley National Park, Calif.

    Image: David McNew/Getty Images

37. 37. Kite-boarders compete on San Francisco Bay on June 7.

    Image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

38. 38. Arizona's Kevin Parrom sells a foul during the Pac-12 tournament on March 14.

    Image: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

39. 39. Legendary NFL linebacker Ray Lewis after one of the final playoff games of his career on Jan. 6.

    Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

40. 40. A young fan welcomes his heroes onto the ice before an NHL game in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 22.

    Image: Grant Halverson/Getty Images

41. 41. Sunlight casts shadows during an April 21 IndyCar race on the streets of Long Beach, Calif.

    Image: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

42. 42. Two hockey players duke it out during an NHL game.

    Image: Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images

43. 43. Peter Mel rides a wave during the Maverick's Invitational surf competition on Jan. 20 in Half Moon Bay.

    Image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

44. 44. Pitcher Erik Bedard of the Houston Astros casts a long shadow on May 29.

    Image: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

45. 45. Andrei Kirilenko of the Brooklyn Nets is framed by the rim while reaching for the ball on Nov. 1.

    Image: Al Bello/Getty Images

46. 46. Greg Owen hits a shot on Feb. 7 at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.

    Image: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

47. 47. A rainbow appears over Camden Yards during a game between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees on June 28.

    Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

48. 48. The field of the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 28.

    Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

49. 49. Russ Smith of the Louisville Cardinals tumbles into his own team's bench during a game at Madison Square Garden on March 16.

    Image: Elsa/Getty Images

50. 50. WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, Jr., preens after defeating Juan Manual Marquez on Oct. 12.