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Jason Collins, First Openly Gay Active NBA Player, Dies of Brain Cancer at 47

His 2013 decision to come out as gay changed how men’s pro sports talk about inclusion.

Overview

  • Collins died Tuesday at home after an eight‑month fight with glioblastoma, his family and the NBA said.
  • NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised his impact on making sports more welcoming and the league offered condolences to his husband, Brunson Green.
  • Collins disclosed his diagnosis in November 2025 and sought experimental treatment in Singapore after doctors warned he might have only months without care.
  • In 2013 he became the first active athlete in the four major U.S. leagues to publicly say he is gay, a step widely seen as opening doors for others.
  • He played 13 NBA seasons with the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards, and his twin, Jarron, accepted a new Bill Walton Global Champion honor for him last week.