Overview
- His family said Tuesday that Collins died after an eight-month fight with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in a statement released through the NBA.
- ESPN reported he died peacefully at home surrounded by family after the cancer returned in recent weeks.
- Collins sought experimental treatment in Singapore last winter after radiation and chemotherapy, improved enough to attend NBA events, then saw the disease recur.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised Collins for helping make sports more inclusive and for his service as an NBA Cares ambassador.
- A 7-foot center drafted 18th in 2001, he played 735 games for the Nets and five other teams, came out in a 2013 Sports Illustrated essay, and is survived by his husband Brunson Green, his parents, and his twin brother Jarron.