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

Jason Collins, the first active openly gay player in a major American professional team sport, died at age 47 after a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Collins had been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, which he announced to the public in December 2025.

He underwent experimental treatments in Singapore that were effective enough for him to attend events around the NBA All-Star weekend, but the cancer returned and he died at his home surrounded by family. His family said in a statement shared by the NBA that Collins changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to those who knew him and those who admired him from afar.

The family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love, prayers and medical care he received over the past eight months.

Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA for six teams after starring at Stanford University. He came out as gay in 2013 while a free agent in a cover story for Sports Illustrated, writing "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. professional sports leagues. Collins retired in 2014.

The Nets said in a statement that Collins spent eight seasons in a Nets uniform and played a vital role on the team's back-to-back Eastern Conference championship squads in 2002 and 2003. Those close to him knew him as a kind and thoughtful person who brought people together.

Collins revealed late last year that the cancer was discovered after he struggled to focus. " Doctors told him that without treatment he would have three months to live. He compared publicly disclosing his diagnosis to his decision to come out as gay, saying the years since had been the best of his life.

"Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private," Collins said at the time. Collins was treated with the drug Avastin and traveled to Singapore for a targeted form of chemotherapy.