Jason Collins, a 13-year NBA veteran who made history as the league’s first openly gay player, has died from glioblastoma at the age of 47, his family announced.
Selected 18th overall out of Stanford in the 2001 draft, the 7-footer spent his first six and a half seasons with the New Jersey Nets and later suited up for the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. Collins returned to the Nets for the 2013-14 campaign, concluding a career that covered 735 regular-season games with averages of 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds.
After retiring, Collins remained active with the league as an NBA Cares Ambassador. In 2013, he publicly came out in a Sports Illustrated article, becoming the first openly gay athlete to compete in any of North America’s four major professional sports leagues.
In a statement, Collins’s family said they were “heartbroken” by his passing but grateful for the support and medical care he received during his eight-month battle with the aggressive brain cancer. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver lauded Collins’s “outstanding leadership and professionalism,” noting that his influence extended “far beyond basketball” by helping make the sport more inclusive.
Collins is survived by his husband, Brunson, along with his parents, siblings and extended family.
Source: Hoops Rumors
