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The basketball world is mourning the loss of Jason Collins, the trailblazing former NBA center who shattered barriers as the league’s first openly gay player and became a powerful symbol of inclusion, courage, and resilience. Collins died following an eight month battle with an aggressive Stage 4 brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday. He was 47.

Collins, whose decision to publicly come out in 2013 changed the landscape of professional sports, had been battling glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most aggressive forms of brain cancer with an extremely low survival rate.

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said in a statement released through the NBA. "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."

The heartbreaking announcement comes just days after Collins was honored with the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit, recognizing his lasting impact beyond basketball. Collins was too ill to attend the ceremony himself. His twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted the award on his behalf in an emotional moment.

"I told my brother this before I came here: He's the bravest, strongest man I've ever known," Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.

A Career That Became Bigger Than Basketball

Collins spent 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for six franchises and earning respect as a tough, defensive minded center known for leadership and professionalism. Though his career averages stood at 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, his influence stretched far beyond the stat sheet.

He played a key role in helping the New Jersey Nets reach back to back NBA Finals and posted his best statistical season in 2004-05, averaging 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds.

But it was what Collins did off the court that transformed him into a historic figure in American sports.

In April 2013, Collins revealed he was gay in a groundbreaking first person account published by Sports Illustrated. At the time, no active male player in one of America’s four major professional sports leagues had publicly come out.

"If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," he wrote at that time. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

The announcement sent shockwaves through the sports world and sparked an overwhelming wave of support from athletes, fans, politicians, and civil rights advocates.

NBA legend Kobe Bryant publicly backed Collins almost immediately. Support also poured in from the White House and former President Bill Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea attended Stanford alongside Collins.

A Quiet Symbol of Activism

Long before publicly revealing his sexuality, Collins quietly honored LGBTQ causes throughout his NBA career.

He wore jersey No. 98 during many of his final playing stints with Boston, Washington, and Brooklyn as a tribute to Matthew Shepard, the gay college student murdered in Wyoming in 1998. In one game for the Nets, Collins wore No. 46 simply because it was the only available jersey after signing with the team.

Collins later explained that a pivotal moment came when Joe Kennedy III, his former Stanford roommate, marched in Boston’s gay pride parade in 2012 while Collins felt unable to do the same publicly.

That internal conflict eventually led him to make history.

After coming out, Collins returned to the NBA and appeared in 22 games for Brooklyn during the following season, proving he could still compete while carrying the weight of unprecedented public attention.

Adam Silver Praises Collins’ Lasting Legacy

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins helped transform professional sports into a more welcoming place for future generations.

"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," Silver said. "He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. 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."

"On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason's husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues."

Stanford Star Remembered as Unique Talent

Before the NBA, Collins starred at Stanford, where he became one of the school’s most efficient players ever. He made nearly 61% of his shots during his college career, a record that still stands.

He earned honorable mention All America honors from The Associated Press in 2001 before being selected by the Houston Rockets with the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft that year.

Former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery reflected on Collins’ immense impact both on and off the court.

"It's a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program's greats," Montgomery said. "We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It's hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person."

Jason Collins leaves behind a legacy that transcended wins and losses. In a league built on stars and statistics, he became something rarer: a figure of courage whose influence changed sports culture forever.