The NBA's first openly gay player, Jason Collins, died of brain cancer on Tuesday, May 12. His family released a statement regarding the news.
Why Jason Collins Came Out as Gay
View this post on Instagram"We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma," the statement said, according to the NBA. "Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar."
"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," the statement continued. "Our family will miss him dearly."
The athlete was in the 2002 NBA finals with the New Jersey Nets, which was a first for the team. The starting center was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Collins returned to The Nets in 2014 and played, becoming the first openly gay player in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.
Collins came out in Sports Illustrated in 2013 at 34 years old. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," read the interview. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
He revealed that his Stanford roommate, Joe Kennedy, inspired him to come out. Kennedy became a congressman in Massachusetts and marched in a gay pride parade.
Collins married The Help film producer Brunson Green in May 2025. Octavia Spencer posted a picture of the couple walking down the aisle on Instagram. Collins has a twin named Jarron Collins, and he also played in the league.
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