Jason Collins, the first active male athlete in a major American professional team sport to come out as gay, has died at the age of 47.
His family announced that he passed away after a “valiant fight with glioblastoma,” an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Collins revealed his diagnosis last year, sharing that he was undergoing treatment to halt the spread of the inoperable disease.
National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner, Adam Silver, expressed condolences, stating, “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.”
In December 2025, Collins disclosed that the cancer was discovered after he experienced difficulties focusing. He described the brain tumor as “a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball.”
Doctors informed him that without treatment, he would have only three months to live.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, Collins drew parallels to his decision to come out publicly in 2013 in a cover story for Sports Illustrated. He stated, “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 was receiving treatment with a drug called Avastin to slow the tumor’s growth and had been traveling to Singapore for targeted chemotherapy.
A California native, Collins began his basketball career at Stanford University before joining the NBA, where he played for six teams over 13 seasons, starting with the New Jersey Nets.
He was featured on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people and retired from professional basketball in 2014.
His family remarked on his legacy, stating, “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.”
Collins famously began his coming out essay by saying, “I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m Black and I’m gay.”
At the time of his announcement, he was a free agent, leaving uncertainty about how his revelation would affect his career. Although significant progress had been made for the gay rights movement by then, same-sex marriage was not legalized nationwide until 2015.
Collins later rejoined the Nets after their move to Brooklyn, becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major U.S. sports leagues. The Nets expressed their sorrow over his passing, stating they are “heartbroken” and acknowledging his vital role in the team’s history.
Former Stanford University basketball coach, Mike Montgomery, reflected on Collins’ impact, calling it a “sad day” and recognizing him as one of the school’s “greats.” He noted Collins’ impressive skills and character, stating, “The impact he had on Stanford was immense.”
Glioblastoma (GBM) is known for being an aggressive type of brain cancer that originates in astrocytes, cells that support nerve cells, and falls under a broader category of tumors known as gliomas.
Glioblastoma stands as the leading aggressive cerebral neoplasm among grown-ups. The condition may develop across all life stages yet appears primarily in elderly individuals.
Symptoms vary based on the tumor’s location within the cranium and might involve convulsions or alterations to cognition, articulation, sight, muscular power, feeling, or coordination.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong