Jason Collins, who made history as the first openly gay active player in NBA history, has passed away at age 47 after a battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
Collins, who began and ended his career with the Nets, revealed his brain cancer diagnosis in November, and he was able to attend NBA All-Star Weekend after seeking treatment overseas – but the cancer returned aggressively, and he died at home surrounded by family on Tuesday.
"We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma," his family said in a statement released by 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."
Collins starred at Stanford alongside twin brother Jarron, and was the No. 18 overall pick in 2001 by the Rockets on a draft night that saw Houston trade his rights to New Jersey, where he spent six-plus seasons and helped lead the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 – the first two Finals appearances in franchise history.
He was dealt to Memphis at the 2008 trade deadline and then spent one season in Minnesota, three in Atlanta, and split 2012-13 between Boston and Washington before concluding his career in 2014 with the now-Brooklyn Nets.
It was after that final full season where Collins made social and athletic history, coming out as gay in the cover story of the May 6, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated – making him the first active male athlete in the big four sports to come out.
He revealed in that interview as well that the No. 98 he wore in his final two seasons was in honor of Matthew Shepard, whose murder in 1998 spurred national headlines and led to a national act against hate crimes, and his No. 98 Nets jersey became the league’s top seller shortly after he signed with Brooklyn.
“His impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of Collins. “He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others."
