Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, dies at 47 from brain cancer

Jason Collins, a longtime NBA center who became the first openly gay male to play in any of America’s four leading professional sports leagues, died Tuesday following months of treatment for glioblastoma. He was 47.

The NBA announced Collins’s death in a statement issued on behalf of his family.

“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” the statement said. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

In 2013, Collins made history through an essay in Sports Illustrated. He had been mulling whether to go public since 2011, he said.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” he wrote.

His decision was widely praised inside and outside of the NBA. Then-President Barack Obama called him to express his support, and Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, posted his “maximum respect.”

Collins was a high school star in Southern California alongside his twin, Jarron, before both starred at Stanford. Jason Collins went on to play in the NBA for eight teams from 2001-14. In retirement, he had become an ambassador for the league. In September, he announced he was undergoing treatment for an advanced brain tumor.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Tuesday that Collins’ “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. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.

“On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”