Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play on a major professional sports team, died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47 years old.
The California native briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated editorial.
Collins played 11 minutes in a 2014 Brooklyn Nets game, becoming the first openly gay man to play in a major American professional sports league. He wore the number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was murdered outside Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that her life had “improperly improved” since coming out. That same year, Collins retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married her husband Branson Green in May 2025.
The NBA announced last September that Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins announced on December 11, 2025 that he has stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to learn that our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, Jason Collins, has passed away after a courageous battle with glioblastoma,” Collins’ family said in a statement. statement The NBA announced. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and the exceptional care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. He will be greatly missed by our family.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’ impact and influence “reached far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and greater sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and through his dedication as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” Silver said. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many lives.”
“It is simply not enough to call Jason Collins a landmark for our community. Today, we truly lost a giant,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson added in a statement. “He came out as gay during his playing days at a time when male athletes were still not coming out as gay. But as he demonstrated powerfully in his final years in the league and in his post-NBA career, he stepped forward and boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and remains a legend to the LGBTQ+ community and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will continue to fight in his honor until the day everyone can be themselves.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reactions as they become available.
Jason Collins dies at 47 This article first appeared in Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
