Jason Collins, the first openly gay active player in NBA history, died at the age of 47 following a battle with stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. His family confirmed the news on Tuesday, posting an emotional statement.
“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.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” they added. “Our family will miss him dearly.”
Final post with husband Brunson Green
Before his death, Collins shared one of his final public messages alongside husband Brunson Green while reflecting on life during cancer treatment.
“Even when fighting brain cancer, you have to recharge and @thesanchaya is the perfect getaway to do that,” Collins wrote via Instagram in November 2025. “Very relaxing birthday weekend for @brunsong & me. ❤️🏝️☀️😎💪🏾🙌🏾.”
Green remained by Collins’ side throughout his illness after the couple married in May 2025 following more than a decade together.
On Valentine’s Day, Collins shared another photo with his partner.
How Jason Collins and Brunson Green met
Collins and Green first crossed paths months after the former NBA center publicly came out as gay in 2013.
“We first met at a housewarming party last June, but I was dating someone else at the time,” Collins told The New York Times in 2014. “Fast-forward to September, I’m single again, and I see him at a party in LA. So we exchange information because he was leaving for Europe the next day. But while he was gone, I was asking everyone: Have you heard of this guy? The background check.”
Green is a longtime Hollywood producer known for films including The Help.
NBA trailblazer changed sports history
Collins made history in 2013 when he became the first openly gay active male athlete across North America’s four major professional sports leagues.
His announcement, published in a first-person essay with Sports Illustrated, transformed him into a major figure in LGBTQ+ representation in sports.
“When I chose to come out, there was no scandal or anything,” Collins wrote in a December 2025 essay for ESPN. “This was like, I feel that I am good enough to play in the NBA and by the way, I’m gay. Just so everyone knows cards on the table, this is where I am.”
Collins received support throughout the sports world after publicly revealing his sexuality, including praise from former President Barack Obama.
Long NBA career across multiple teams
The veteran center spent 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected 18th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets before being traded to the then-New Jersey Nets.
Collins later played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.
During his time with the Nets, he helped lead the franchise to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 alongside Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson.
Tributes pour in after Collins’ death
Arn Tellem, Collins’ former agent and current vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons, praised the former player’s influence on and off the court.
“Jason’s legacy stands as a beacon for tolerance, dignity, respect, inclusion, compassion, and understanding,” Tellem said in a statement. “He left this world better than he found it.”
