Jason Collins, the first active male athlete in a major American professional team sport to come out as gay, has died at age 47. Collins died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family announced.

Collins announced last year that he had been diagnosed with glioblastoma and was undergoing treatment to stop the spread of the inoperable disease. In December 2025, he said the cancer was discovered after he had been struggling to focus, and that doctors told him he would be dead within three months without treatment. He was being treated with the drug Avastin to slow the tumor's growth and had been traveling to Singapore for a targeted form of chemotherapy.

Collins came out publicly in a 2013 front-page essay for Sports Illustrated, writing: "I'm a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I'm Black and I'm gay." He became the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major U.S. sports leagues. President Barack Obama called him to express his support after the announcement, which came two years before gay marriage was legalized across the U.S. in 2015. When revealing his diagnosis, Collins said the experience reminded him of publicly coming out in 2013. "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. This is me. This is what I'm dealing with," he said.

Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA from 2001 to 2014, starting his career with the New Jersey Nets and later rejoining the franchise after it moved to Brooklyn. He had been featured on Time magazine's 100 most influential people list. In retirement, he became an ambassador for the league. He was a high school basketball star in Southern California alongside his twin brother, Jarron Collins, and both starred at Stanford University.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: "On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason's husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. 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. 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."

In a statement, Collins' family said: "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. Our family will miss him dearly."