The sports world is mourning the loss of Jason Collins, the pioneering basketball player who broke one of the most significant barriers in professional sports. Collins passed away at the age of 47 following what his family described as a “valiant fight” against glioblastoma, an aggressive and inoperable form of brain cancer.
Collins made history in 2013 when he came out as gay in a front-page essay for Sports Illustrated, becoming the first active male athlete in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues to do so. His announcement was a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community and professional athletics, earning him a spot on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
In late 2025, Collins revealed his cancer diagnosis, describing the tumor as a “monster with tentacles” that had spread across the underside of his brain. Despite undergoing advanced treatments, including targeted chemotherapy in Singapore, the disease proved terminal. At the time of his diagnosis, Collins reflected on his decision to live authentically, stating that the years following his coming out were the “best of his life.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement praising Collins’ enduring legacy. “Jason’s impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” Silver said. He added that Collins would be remembered not just for breaking barriers, but for the “kindness and humanity” that defined his character.
A standout at Stanford University, Collins enjoyed a 13-season NBA career, playing for six different teams. He spent the bulk of his career with the New Jersey Nets, where he was a key defensive presence on the teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. After coming out, he eventually signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, officially becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in a major US league game.
The Brooklyn Nets expressed their heartbreak in a team statement, noting that Collins helped “define an era” of the franchise. Beyond his athletic prowess, he was remembered by teammates and coaches as a “genuinely kind, thoughtful person” who used his platform to advocate for civil rights, including speaking at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
Jason Collins leaves behind a legacy of courage, reminding the world that “life is so much better when you just show up as your true self.” He is survived by his family and a global community of athletes who now walk through the doors he helped open.