Collins, NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47...
Key takeaways
- Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, who has served as a global ambassador for the sport for the past decade, has died from brain cancer, his family said Tuesday.
- Collins told ESPN in November that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer.
- But the cancer returned recently, and Collins died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, who has served as a global ambassador for the sport for the past decade, has died from brain cancer, his family said Tuesday. He was 47.
Collins told ESPN in November that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. He traveled to Singapore this past winter to receive experimental treatments not yet authorized in the United States. Those treatments were effective enough for him to return home, attend NBA All-Star Weekend events in Los Angeles and a game at his alma mater, Stanford.
But the cancer returned recently, and Collins died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family.