The 6-foot-9 center announced he was gay in 2013, but was battling brain cancer.
Published May 13, 2026
Jason Collins, the first openly gay active player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), has died at the age of 47 after a battle with cancer.
“We are heartbroken to learn that our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, Jason Collins, passed away after a courageous battle with glioblastoma,” the family said in a statement Tuesday.
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Collins revealed in September that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, later revealing that he had stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The 7-foot-tall (2.13 meters) made headlines in 2013 when he became the first openly gay active male player in one of North America’s four major professional sports leagues.
The center played 13 seasons in the NBA. He was selected 18th overall in the 2001 draft by the Houston Rockets and traded to the then-New Jersey Nets on draft night. He also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards.
Collins, along with teammates Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, helped the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
After revealing he was gay in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated, Collins received widespread support from across the sports world, including from then-US President Barack Obama.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and those who admired him from afar,” his family said. “Our family will miss him very much.”
Arn Tellem, Collins’ former agent and current vice president of the Detroit Pistons, said his decision to come out changed his life.
“Jason’s legacy stands as a beacon of tolerance, dignity, respect, inclusivity, compassion and understanding,” Tellem said in a statement. “He left this world in a better way than I expected.”
