Jason Collins, the trailblazing NBA center who made history as the first openly gay player in any of America’s major professional sports leagues, has died at the age of 47 following a battle with an aggressive brain tumor, his family announced. The basketball world is mourning a figure whose courage off the court rivaled his accomplishments on it.
Collins died on May 13, 2026, after fighting brain cancer, according to a statement from his family released Wednesday. The news has sent shockwaves through the sports community and the broader LGBTQ+ rights movement, where Collins had become a celebrated voice for inclusion.
“Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player and a prominent champion of inclusion, has died at 47 after battling an aggressive brain tumor, his family said,” the family confirmed in a statement released Wednesday.
A Barrier-Breaking Moment in Sports History
Collins etched his name into the history books in April 2013 when he publicly came out in a landmark Sports Illustrated cover story, becoming the first active player in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues to do so. The 7-foot center, who was a free agent at the time of the announcement, signed with the Brooklyn Nets the following season, taking the court for his first game in a Nets uniform on February 23, 2014.
His jersey, bearing the number 98 — chosen in memory of Matthew Shepard, the gay college student murdered in 1998 — became one of the top-selling jerseys in the NBA almost overnight. The moment was widely regarded as a watershed for LGBTQ+ representation in professional athletics, opening doors for athletes across multiple sports who had previously felt unable to live openly.
A 13-Year NBA Career Built on Grit
Before becoming a household name for his advocacy, Collins built a respected 13-year NBA career as a defensive-minded big man known for setting bone-jarring screens and doing the unglamorous work that contending teams require. Drafted 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA Draft after a standout career at Stanford University, Collins was immediately traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he would play his most significant years.
He helped anchor the Nets’ frontcourt during their back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, playing alongside Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson. Over the course of his career, Collins also suited up for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and finally the Brooklyn Nets, where his career came full circle.
Though his career averages — 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game — won’t land him in the Hall of Fame on statistics alone, teammates and coaches consistently praised his professionalism, locker room presence and willingness to absorb punishment in the paint. He was, by any measure, the type of player every championship-caliber team needs.
Champion of Inclusion Beyond Basketball
After retiring from professional basketball in November 2014, Collins transitioned seamlessly into a role as one of the most prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in American sports. He worked closely with the NBA’s social responsibility programs, served as an ambassador for several major charitable organizations and frequently spoke at universities, corporations and policy events about the importance of authenticity and acceptance.
President Barack Obama personally called Collins to offer his support when he came out in 2013, and First Lady Michelle Obama publicly congratulated him on social media — gestures that underscored the cultural weight of his decision. In the years that followed, Collins remained a fixture at major sports and equality events, and his impact was credited with helping pave the way for other athletes, including soccer star Megan Rapinoe and NFL prospect Michael Sam, to come out publicly.
Collins’s twin brother, Jarron, who also played in the NBA and now works as an assistant coach, was reportedly by his side during his final months. The brothers, who played together at Stanford and briefly in the NBA, were inseparable throughout their lives.
Tributes Pour In From Across the Sports World
News of Collins’s passing has triggered an outpouring of grief from athletes, executives and public figures across the country. The NBA, current and former teammates, civil rights organizations and openly LGBTQ+ athletes who followed in his footsteps have all paid tribute to his legacy in the hours since the announcement.
The specific timeline of Collins’s cancer diagnosis has not been made public, and his family has asked for privacy as they grieve. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Collins is survived by his twin brother Jarron and his extended family. He leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond box scores — one measured in the lives he changed simply by being himself at a time when doing so still carried enormous professional and personal risk. As the basketball world reflects on his impact, Collins’s place as a pioneer who helped open doors for LGBTQ+ athletes will endure for generations.
