Jason Collins, NBA’s First Openly Gay Player, Dies at 47

Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA and a pioneer for inclusion in sports, has died at the age of 47 after a battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. The NBA announced his death on Tuesday, sharing a statement from Collins’ family expressing gratitude for the support and medical care he received during his illness.

Collins revealed in 2013, through a Sports Illustrated essay, that he was gay, becoming the first active male athlete in a major North American professional team sport to come out publicly. “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m Black and I’m gay,” he wrote. His announcement was met with widespread support, including from NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, former President Barack Obama, and the Human Rights Campaign, which called him a groundbreaking figure.

Born in Southern California, Collins starred in high school alongside his identical twin brother, Jarron Collins, before both played at Stanford University. Jason Collins was selected 18th overall in the 2001 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets and went on to play 13 seasons in the league for six different teams. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during his career, helping the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals. His best season came in 2004-05 when he averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Collins retired in 2014 after a stint with the Brooklyn Nets. Throughout his career and afterward, he worked as an NBA Cares Ambassador, promoting inclusion and acceptance in sports. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Collins’ leadership and impact, saying, “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

In December, Collins announced he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor with a low survival rate. He described the tumor as “a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball.” Symptoms appeared suddenly last August, shortly after he married Brunson Greene in Austin, Texas.

Just last week, Collins was honored with the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. His twin brother Jarron accepted the award on his behalf, calling him “the bravest, strongest man I’ve ever known.”

Collins’ family said in their statement, “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”