Jason Collins passes away at 47 from Stage 4 glioblastoma

Former NBA center Jason Collins has tragically passed away at the age of 47 from brain cancer. The family of Collins announced his passing in a statement released by the NBA.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma. 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.”

In a November interview with ESPN, he shared the news of his battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma. Over the past few months, he had been working to treat the brain cancer, which is considered one of the deadliest. ESPN reports that he even traveling to Singapore for experimental treatment.

Collins played 13 years in the league, with the majority of his career spent with the New Jersey Nets, where he was a part of the two NBA Finals teams in 2002 and 2003. Following his departure from the Nets in 2008, he went on to play for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards before returning to the Nets in the 2014 season.

In 2013, Jason Collins also made history as the first openly gay player in the NBA. In a quote obtained by ESPN, he spoke about the moment.

“When I chose to come out, there was no scandal or anything,” Collins told ESPN in November. “This was like, I feel that I am good enough to play in the NBA and by the way, I’m gay. Just so everyone knows cards on the table, this is where I am…Thankfully the Nets were the one team that gave me a tryout.”

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