Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in NBA history, has died at the age of 47.
Collins’ family confirmed on Tuesday that the former basketball player had died following a battle with brain cancer.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” the family said in a statement shared through the NBA.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
In December, Collins revealed in an essay for ESPN that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. In the piece, he wrote that without treatment, the cancer could spread quickly enough to kill him within six weeks to three months, but said he was “going to fight it”.
According to ESPN, Collins travelled to Singapore over the winter for experimental treatments not authorised in the United States. He later recovered enough to attend NBA All-Star Weekend events in Los Angeles and a game at Stanford University, his alma mater.
However, ESPN reports that his cancer recently returned. Collins died peacefully at his home in Florida, surrounded by family.
The Associated Press reported that Collins had been too unwell last week to attend an award ceremony in Cleveland, where he was honoured with the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit.
His twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted the award on his behalf.
“I told my brother this before I came here: He’s the bravest, strongest man I’ve ever known,” Jarron said at the event.
A trailblazer in sport
Collins came out publicly in 2013, becoming the first active NBA player to come out as gay. He was also the first active athlete in one of North America’s four major men’s professional sports leagues to publicly acknowledge he was gay.
During his NBA career, Collins played for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics, and Wizards before retiring in 2014.
His decision to come out marked a major moment for LGBTQ+ visibility in professional sport, where very few male athletes had publicly shared their sexuality while still competing.
Collins had been in a relationship with film producer Brunson Green since 2014. The couple married in May 2025, just months before Collins began experiencing complications from cancer.
His loved ones first revealed his diagnosis in September 2025, though the statement was deliberately vague. Collins later explained in his ESPN essay that his symptoms had left him “unable to speak for myself”.
When he did share his story, he reflected on the importance of living openly.
“When I came out publicly as the first active gay basketball player in 2013, I told a lot of the people closest to me before I did so,” he wrote. “I wasn’t worried it would leak before the story came out, because I trusted the people I told. And guess what? Nothing leaked. I got to tell my own story, the way I wanted to. And now I can honestly say, the past 12 years since have been the best of my 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. This is me. This is what I’m dealing with.”
Tributes honour Collins’ legacy
Former Stanford Men’s Basketball head coach Mike Montgomery paid tribute to Collins in a statement shared online.
“It’s a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program’s greats,” Montgomery said.
“We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It’s hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person. I’ll miss him dearly, and my heart goes out to the Collins family, because Sara and I know what it’s like to lose a child.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, described Collins as “a giant” in the LGBTQ+ movement.
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” Robinson said.
“He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation. He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Collins is survived by his husband Brunson Green, his parents Portia and Paul Collins, and his twin brother Jarron Collins, who most recently served as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.
