Jason Collins, the former NBA player who made history as the first openly gay active athlete in a major US men’s professional sports league, passed away at the age of 47 following a battle with brain cancer.
Collins died on Tuesday after a courageous fight with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer he publicly disclosed in 2025. Despite his groundbreaking role, Collins later revealed that he never sought to be recognized as a pioneer.
In 2013, Collins transformed the sports world by coming out in a personal essay for Sports Illustrated, becoming the first openly gay male athlete actively playing in one of North America’s four major professional leagues. His essay began with a powerful declaration: “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m Black. And I’m gay.” This moment defined his public identity, though it was preceded by years of private reflection.
Before coming out, Collins had been engaged to former WNBA player Carolyn Moos after a long-term relationship. He later reflected that he had once tried to convince himself that living the expected life might suppress feelings he had wrestled with throughout adulthood.
Even before publicly acknowledging his sexuality, Collins quietly expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who was murdered in a 1998 anti-gay hate crime—a tribute many only recognized after Collins’ announcement.
At the time Collins came out, same-sex marriage was not yet legal nationwide in the United States, and openly gay male athletes in major professional team sports were virtually nonexistent. Collins admitted he wished someone else had taken the step before him, as he never wanted to be “the first.” Nevertheless, his decision opened up vital conversations about sexuality, identity, and acceptance within locker rooms that had long remained silent.
In the years following his announcement, Collins described that period as “the best of my life.” Beyond his historic revelation, he enjoyed a respected 13-year NBA career, playing for teams such as the New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards. He notably helped the Nets reach consecutive NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 and later returned to the franchise after it relocated to Brooklyn.
Tributes poured in after news of his passing. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver highlighted Collins’ impact as extending “far beyond basketball,” emphasizing how he helped create a more inclusive environment for future athletes. The Brooklyn Nets remembered him as a player whose bravery and authenticity propelled “the game—and the world—forward.”
More than a decade after his historic coming out, Collins’ legacy remains powerful—not because he sought to make history, but because he chose honesty at a time when few others dared to do so.
