Jason Collins has quickly emerged as a fan favorite since becoming the first openly gay male athlete to play in one of the big four American professional sports.

There is more to the story of Collins becoming the first openly gay male athlete in pro sports, however. The veteran basketball star, who has spent a dozen years boxing out and grabbing rebounds on NBA courts, decided to wear jersey No. 98 in memory of Matthew Shepard, a teenager from Wyoming who was beaten to death in 1998 just for being gay.

Collins' jersey has now skyrocketed to the top of the sales charts in the NBA store. Vicky Picca, who serves as the NBA Senior Vice President, announced on Tuesday that Collins' jersey is the no. 1 selling jersey on the website -- even beating out stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Shepard's parents, Dennis and Judy, have been relentless in their pursuit of equality in the years since their son was murdered. Naturally, the couple was thrilled to see Collins carrying on their son's legacy.

"Jason helps those kids go ahead and live their lives to the fullest, and take their talent in academics, in sports, wherever it can take them," Shepard's father said to ESPN on Monday. "Some kids are still living hidden lives, living in fear, and the more you see Jason and Michael Sam and others encouraging them to be themselves, they'll understand they can get to the top of whatever ladder they're climbing."

Dennis also recalled Judy's reaction to the news that Collins would be wearing No. 98.

"I was watching Jason and his brother [Jarron] back when they played at Stanford," he also said to ESPN, "and I remember Judy having a big smile on her face when Jason came out and said why he was wearing 98. By bringing out Matt's story again, Jason is encouraging others to view people who are different in a new light. He's also giving a lot of kids out there hope, something to live for."