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

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The world of sports, particularly basketball, is mourning the loss of Jason Collins, a former NBA player who made history as the first openly gay athlete.

Collins passed away on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the age of 47, after an eight-month battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of stage 4 brain cancer.

The sad news was announced by his family in a statement shared by the NBA.

His battle with this devastating disease became public after he revealed his diagnosis in late 2025.

Breaking: 13-year NBA veteran Jason Collins has died at 47 years old, his family announced. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma. pic.twitter.com/pvdGrEZYPv

— ESPN (@espn) May 12, 2026

Jason Collins' diagnosis of stage 4 glioblastoma became public in late 2025.

At that time, doctors discovered an inoperable brain tumor while investigating his concentration and focus issues.

He later personally revealed his condition in an essay for ESPN in December 2015.

In the essay, Collins described his tumor as "a monster with tentacles spreading across the bottom of my brain as wide as a baseball."

Determined to fight, Collins traveled to Singapore to receive an experimental treatment not yet available in the United States.

Despite a valiant eight months of intensive treatment, Collins' condition continued to decline.

His family stated that "Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and became an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," underscoring his profound impact.

Jason Collins made history as the first NBA player to publicly come out as gay in April 2013.

He made the announcement in a personal essay in Sports Illustrated magazine, in which he boldly wrote, "I am a 34-year-old NBA center. I am Black. And I am gay."

The announcement made him the first openly gay male athlete in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

Following the historic announcement, Collins signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets in February 2014, making him the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

He chose the number 98 jersey in honor of Matthew Shepard, the victim of an anti-gay hate crime in 1998.

Sales of Collins' jerseys with the number 98 skyrocketed, and the NBA announced that proceeds from the sale, as well as an auction of Collins' autographed jerseys, would be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

Jason Paul Collins was born on December 2, 1978, in Northridge, California, USA.

He began his college basketball career playing for the Stanford Cardinal, where he earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2001 and third-team All-American honors.

His talent caught the attention of NBA teams, and he was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.

Throughout his 13-season NBA career, Collins played for six different franchises.

These teams included the New Jersey Nets (2001–2008), Memphis Grizzlies (2008), Minnesota Timberwolves (2008–2009), Atlanta Hawks (2009–2012), Boston Celtics (2012–2013), Washington Wizards (2013), and Brooklyn Nets (2014).

One of his greatest accomplishments was helping the New Jersey Nets reach the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Although his career averages were 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

He retired from professional basketball on November 19, 2014.

Off the court, Jason Collins has an identical twin brother, Jarron Collins, who also played in the NBA.

He married film producer Brunson Green in May 2025.

Collins served as an ambassador for the NBA Cares initiative, meeting annually with NBA rookies and speaking to young athletes about the importance of inclusion, teamwork, and resilience.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged Collins' far-reaching impact, stating that "Jason Collins' impact and influence extend beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and the broader sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations."

Shortly before his death, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit, which was accepted by his twin brother as he was too ill to attend.