Overview
- Collins’ family, in a statement released through the NBA on Tuesday, said he died at home after an eight-month fight with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Collins’ former teams praised his leadership and said his example opened doors for future players.
- Collins revealed the Stage 4 glioblastoma diagnosis in December 2025, an aggressive brain cancer with a poor outlook, and pursued radiation, chemotherapy and experimental treatment in Singapore that briefly allowed public appearances.
- He played 13 NBA seasons after being drafted 18th in 2001 and, in 2013, came out in Sports Illustrated, becoming the first openly gay active player in a major U.S. men’s league before returning to play for the Brooklyn Nets in 2014.
- He is survived by his husband, Brunson Green, his parents and his twin brother, Jarron Collins.