Former NBA center Jason Collins has passed away at age 47 following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family confirmed. Collins, who made history in 2013 as the first active male athlete in a major North American professional sports league to publicly come out as gay, died surrounded by loved ones.
“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. Collins had revealed in September that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, later disclosing it was stage four glioblastoma.
Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 draft, then 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. Alongside Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, Collins helped the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
In 2013, Collins published a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated announcing he was gay, receiving widespread support from across the sports world, including then-U.S. President Barack Obama. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” his family added. “Our family will miss him dearly.”