Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, dead at 47 after battle with brain cancer
Jason Collins, a 13-year NBA veteran who came out as gay during his playing career, died today at age 47 from glioblastoma.
Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, dead at 47 after battle with brain cancer originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Jason Collins, a longtime big man who played 13 seasons in the NBA, died today after a battle with glioblastoma.
He was 47 years old. Collins was a beloved figure in the basketball world who made history in 2013, when he became the NBA's first active player to come out as gay. His family issued the following statement via NBA Communications today upon his passing: We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma.
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.
Collins played his college basketball at Stanford after a sterling prep career at famed high school Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles. He is the all-time leader in field goal percentage for the Cardinal, and was inducted alongside twin brother Jarron into the Stanford Hall of Fame in 2017. The Houston Rockets selected Collins with the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.