The NBA pioneer who came out as gay in 2013 died after a battle with brain cancer
Jason Collins redefined what courage looks like in professional sports and the basketball world is mourning his loss
Jason Collins, the NBA veteran who made history in 2013 as the first openly gay active player in any of the four major American professional sports leagues, died Tuesday at the age of 47. His family confirmed he passed away after a valiant fight with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Collins had disclosed his diagnosis in December 2025 and was undergoing treatment at the time. He is survived by his husband, film producer Brunson Green, and his twin brother Jarron, who followed a similar path through Stanford University and into the NBA.
The basketball world responded to the news with an outpouring of grief. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement acknowledging not just what Collins accomplished on the court but what he gave to the broader sports community. Silver credited Collins with helping make the NBA, the WNBA, and the larger sports world more inclusive and welcoming for future generations, describing him as someone whose kindness and humanity defined his life and touched people across the league.
A 13-year career built on sacrifice and reliability
Collins was a 7-foot center out of Stanford University who entered the NBA in 2001 after being selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets and traded to the then-New Jersey Nets on draft night. Over 13 seasons, he played for six franchises including the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game across his career, numbers that never told the full story of his value.
Collins was the kind of player teams built around in ways that never showed up on a stat sheet. He defended, he absorbed contact, and he gave teams a physical presence in the paint when they needed it most. He was part of the New Jersey Nets rosters that reached back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 alongside Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson. When he retired in 2014, Collins said he hoped to be remembered as a great teammate who always sacrificed for the team.
The Sports Illustrated essay that changed everything
What Collins accomplished on the court was significant. What he did off of it was historic. In April 2013, while still a free agent, Collins wrote a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated in which he came out publicly as a gay man. The piece made him the first active male athlete in any of North America’s four major professional sports leagues to do so, and the response was immediate and far-reaching.
Support came from across the sports world and beyond, including from then-President Barack Obama. There was real uncertainty at the time about what the disclosure would mean for his career. Collins returned to play one final season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014 before retiring. He later served as an NBA Cares Ambassador, continuing to use his platform to advance inclusion and representation in sports.
A legacy that reaches far beyond basketball
Collins’ former agent Arn Tellem, who currently serves as vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons, captured what so many in the basketball community felt upon hearing the news. He described Collins’ decision to come out as one that changed lives, framing his legacy as a beacon for tolerance, dignity, respect, inclusion, compassion, and understanding. The sentiment was widely echoed across the league and throughout the broader sports world.
His family released a statement saying Collins changed lives in ways he may not have fully anticipated, serving as an inspiration to people who knew him personally and to many more who admired him from a distance.
Collins’ death comes at a painful moment for the NBA, which is simultaneously mourning Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who died at age 29. The two losses, arriving within a short span of each other, have cast a somber mood over a league still in the middle of its playoff season.
Jason Collins did not set out to be a symbol. He set out to play basketball and live honestly. The fact that those two things together changed the landscape of professional sports in America is a testament to what one person’s courage can accomplish when the moment calls for it.