Jason Collins, who became the first openly gay active player in major American professional sports when he came out in April 2013 while playing in the NBA, died on May 12, 2026, after an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 47 years old. His family announced the death in a statement, and tributes from across the NBA, sports world, and LGBTQ advocacy community came within hours.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that “Jason 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.”

Who Jason Collins Was

Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA, a career that spanned six different franchises: New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards. He was a center known for his defense, physicality, and the locker room presence that kept him employed well past the usual athletic peak.

His career statistics were modest by the standards of the sport. Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over his career. His value was never primarily statistical. Teams kept Collins because he was a reliable interior presence, an enforcer who made life difficult for opposing big men, and according to teammates across his career, a model professional.

He finished his playing career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, becoming the first openly gay player to appear in an NBA game when he signed with Brooklyn in February 2014, seven months after his public coming out.

The Coming Out That Changed American Sports

Collins’ April 2013 Sports Illustrated essay, in which he wrote “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” was a watershed moment in American sports culture. He was not a fringe player; he was an active NBA player who had appeared in over 800 career games. The announcement received a call from President Obama and immediate support from teammates and the commissioner’s office.

According to CNN’s legacy analysis published after his death, Collins opened a door that many LGBTQ athletes still don’t feel safe walking through, more than a decade later. The number of openly gay active players in major American professional sports leagues remains small, a fact that underscores both how significant Collins’ act was and how incomplete the cultural change has been.

His Diagnosis and Final Months

Collins was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma in late 2025. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, with a median survival of 12 to 15 months after diagnosis even with treatment. Collins’ eight-month illness from diagnosis to death, while devastating, reflects the reality of the disease’s progression.

According to NPR, Collins remained connected to the LGBTQ advocacy community throughout his illness. He had served as an ambassador for the NBA’s inclusion programs after retiring from playing and continued those relationships until shortly before his death.

Legacy and Tributes

The NBA announced it would retire Collins’ number 98 jersey at the Brooklyn Nets, the franchise where he made history as the first openly gay player to appear in an NBA game. The number 98 was chosen by Collins in tribute to Matthew Shepard, the gay college student murdered in 1998 whose death became a catalyst for hate crime legislation.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and dozens of current and former players posted tributes within hours of the announcement. President Biden, former President Obama, and the Biden White House also paid tribute, referencing the personal phone call Obama placed to Collins in 2013 when the coming-out announcement was made.

LGBTQ advocacy organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and GLSEN described Collins as a “sports civil rights pioneer” and noted that his 2013 decision came at a time when no institutional support structure for openly gay athletes in major sports existed and had to be built largely from that single moment of courage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Jason Collins?

Jason Collins was a 13-year NBA center who played for six franchises between 2001 and 2014. In April 2013, he became the first openly gay active player in major American professional sports when he published a coming-out essay in Sports Illustrated. He later became the first openly gay player to appear in an NBA game when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in February 2014. He died on May 12, 2026, at age 47 from Stage 4 glioblastoma.

How did Jason Collins die?

Jason Collins died on May 12, 2026, after an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was diagnosed in late 2025. He was 47 years old.

Why did Jason Collins wear number 98?

Jason Collins chose jersey number 98 as a tribute to Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was murdered in 1998. Shepard’s death became a catalyst for federal hate crime legislation. Collins wore 98 throughout his career as a deliberate act of remembrance.