Jason Collins, NBA’s first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain tumor
He died at 47 after an eight-month battle with stage 4 glioblastoma, and the NBA said he helped make the league more inclusive.
- On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Jason Collins, the league's first openly gay player, died at age 47 following a battle with brain cancer.
- Collins became a historic figure in 2013 when he announced he was gay in a Sports Illustrated cover story, becoming the first active athlete in a major North American sports league to do so.
- During his 13-year career, Collins played for six franchises and later served as an NBA Cares Ambassador; he traveled to Singapore this past winter for experimental stage 4 glioblastoma treatment.
- His family said in a statement released by the NBA, "We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma."
- NBA Commissioner Silver noted Collins' influence extended "far beyond basketball" as his twin brother, Jarron Collins, accepted the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award on his behalf last week.
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Jason Collins Dies: NBA's First Openly Gay, Active NBA Player Was 47
Jason Collins, the first openly gay basketball player in NBA history, died Tuesday after a months-long battle with brain cancer. He was 47. Collins died from glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, and had been battling the disease for the last eight months, his family stated, according to KXAN. “We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight wit…
Jason Collins, NBA’s First Gay Player Dead at 47
The first openly homosexual player in the NBA, Jason Collins, died following a terrifying fight with a brain tumor. The 47-year-old retired center had just been married to film producer Brunson Green for a year. In a statement, the Collins family said: ‘We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,’ ‘Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an …
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