Jason Collins, the NBA‘s first openly gay player who played in the league for 13 years, has died following a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” his family shared in a statement released by the NBA on Tuesday. “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.”
Collins, born on Dec. 2, 1978, first revealed in December 2025 that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. He previously detailed his cancer treatment to ESPN, sharing that he underwent experimental treatments, including targeted chemotherapy, in Singapore.
Throughout Collins’ 13-year NBA career as a center, he played for eight different teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and two runs with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.
In a 2013 Sports Illustrated cover story, he publicly announced that he was gay, becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in the NBA. Once he retired from the league in 2014, he served as an NBA Cares Ambassador and was an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also wrote in a statement after Collins’ death, “Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. 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.
He concluded, “On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”
Collins is survived by his husband, Brunson Green, as well as his parents, Portia and Paul Collins, and twin brother, Jarron Collins.