Jason Collins, NBA's First Openly Gay Player, Dies At 47 Of Glioblastoma
Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, died Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 47 after a valiant fight with glioblastoma, his family said through the league.[1]
A family statement released through the NBA said Collins had waged an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma and thanked medical staff for his care.[1] Collins publicly disclosed the diagnosis in December 2025.[1] He was too ill last week to attend the Green Sports Alliance Summit, and his twin brother Jarron accepted the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award on his behalf.[1]
In April 2013, Collins publicly came out in a first-person Sports Illustrated essay, becoming the first active NBA player to do so.[2] He spent 13 years in the NBA with six franchises, averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds, and helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals.[1] NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Collins an inspiration whose work as an NBA Cares Ambassador helped make the NBA and WNBA more inclusive.[2]
Players, officials and advocates offered immediate tributes, calling Collins a trailblazer for LGBTQ inclusion in sports.
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- The NBA formally announced Jason Collins' death on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (Central), saying he was 47 years old and confirming the report of his passing (Jason Collins).
- His family released a statement through the NBA saying Collins died "after a valiant fight with glioblastoma," thanking medical staff and describing an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma (his family).
- Collins had publicly disclosed his Stage 4 glioblastoma diagnosis in December 2025 (Stage 4 glioblastoma diagnosis).
- He had been too ill to attend the Green Sports Alliance Summit last week to receive the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award, which his twin brother Jarron accepted on his behalf (Bill Walton Global Champion Award).
- Collins spent 13 years in the NBA with six franchises, averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds, and helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals (13 years in the NBA).
- He publicly came out as gay in April 2013 in a Sports Illustrated first-person essay (Sports Illustrated first-person essay).
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement praising Collins' impact beyond basketball, highlighting his role in making the NBA and WNBA more inclusive and his work as an NBA Cares Ambassador (Adam Silver).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- NPR/AP confirms Jason Collins died at age 47 after an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, as announced by his family on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
- The article reiterates that Collins spent 13 years in the NBA with six franchises and publicly came out as gay in April 2013 in a Sports Illustrated first-person essay.
- NPR/AP quotes the family statement released through the NBA describing Collins as an inspiration and thanking medical staff for care over the past eight months.
- The piece notes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's tribute emphasizing Collins' role in making the NBA and WNBA more inclusive and his work as an NBA Cares Ambassador.
- The obituary restates that Collins was too ill to attend the Green Sports Alliance Summit last week, where he received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award, accepted by his twin brother Jarron Collins.
- The NBA formally announced Jason Collins' death on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and confirmed he was 47 years old.
- A family statement released through the NBA said Collins died "after a valiant fight with glioblastoma" and thanked medical staff for his care.
- The article notes he disclosed his Stage 4 glioblastoma diagnosis publicly in December 2025.
- Collins had been too ill to attend the Green Sports Alliance Summit last week to receive the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award, which his twin brother Jarron accepted on his behalf.
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a new statement emphasizing that Collins' impact extended beyond basketball and highlighted his work as an NBA Cares Ambassador.
- The story reiterates that Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds over a 13-year NBA career with six franchises and helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals.