The personal essay, which was the cover story of Sports Illustrated in May 2013, made the 7-foot-tall, over-a-decade-long National Basketball Association player a trailblazer: the first openly gay man playing professionally in a major American team sport. He went on to play briefly for the Brooklyn Nets before retiring in November 2014.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” a statement from Collins’ family provided by the NBA, which confirmed his death, read. “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.”
While Collins wrote about his ordeals as someone battling cancer, from experiencing symptoms to exploring treatments, he also looked back on his public coming out. “I got to tell my own story, the way I wanted to. And now I can honestly say, the past 12 years since have been the best of my life. Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private.”
Silver then extended his condolences to Collins’ husband Brunson Green, his family, and his friends, and added that the storied basketball player will be remembered “not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
The twins grew up in the Northridge neighborhood and graduated from the private school Harvard-Westlake. The brothers, who both played basketball, helped win the school back-to-back California Division III titles. Collins also set a state high school rebounding record with 1,500, though another player broke it in 2010.
Former Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery said in a statement on Tuesday that “it’s a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program’s greats.”
‘An incredible teammate’
In the 2001 NBA draft, Jason Collins was selected by the Houston Rockets as the 18th overall pick. On draft night, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets. (Jarron was drafted in the second round by the Utah Jazz.)
Shortly after his coming out, he became a free agent and joined the Nets, who had moved to Brooklyn by then, to play out the rest of the season. He announced his retirement in November 2014.
“This one hurts,” Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who played with Collins on the New Jersey Nets and coached him at the Brooklyn Nets, said in a post on X after Collins’ death. “Jason Collins was a pioneer. He had courage like you’ve never seen. He was an incredible teammate. And having him in Brooklyn at the start of my coaching journey meant so much. Those who knew him were blessed to call him a friend. You are already missed my brother. Rest in power.”
Similar tributes came from former teams Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.
‘A leader and an inspiration’
Collins’ coming out in 2013 was received largely positively, with messages of support coming from fellow basketball players. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama commended him, and he was appointed to serve on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
After his retirement, Collins threw himself into advocacy work. He became an NBA Cares ambassador, advocated for LGBT rights, and regularly attended Pride events. He also campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit to recognize his push for positive social change. His twin brother Jarron accepted it on his behalf because he was too ill to attend.
“One goal that I have attained in my life that I’m very proud of is to have a positive impact on someone else’s life,” Jason Collins told TIME in 2014. “Hopefully my actions will make it easier for them to live their life, to be whoever they want to be.”
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