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

Jason Collins, the NBA center who in 2013 became the first openly gay player in the league's history and spent the rest of his life advocating for inclusion across professional sports, died Tuesday after an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma. He was 47.

Collins' family announced his death in a statement released through the NBA. "Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," the family said. "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."

Glioblastoma is among the most aggressive forms of brain cancer and carries an extremely low survival rate. Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend, and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted on his behalf.

"I told my brother this before I came here: He's the bravest, strongest man I've ever known," Jarron Collins said at the ceremony.

Jason Collins spent 13 seasons in the NBA across six franchises, averaging 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and posted his best individual season in 2004-05, averaging 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for that club. Before turning professional, he set a Stanford University record by making nearly 61 percent of his field goal attempts — a mark that still stands — and was an honorable mention All-American in 2001 before the Houston Rockets selected him 18th overall in that year's draft.

Collins delivered his public coming-out in April 2013 through a first-person essay. "If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," Collins wrote. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand." The announcement drew immediate support from fellow players, including Kobe Bryant, as well as from the White House and former President Bill Clinton.

Collins played 22 games with the Brooklyn Nets the following season, making him the first openly gay athlete to play in a major American professional sport, before transitioning into his role as an NBA Cares Ambassador.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins' legacy reached far beyond the court. "He helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations," Silver said. "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."

Collins is survived by his husband, Brunson, and his family.

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