Jason Collins, the 13-year NBA veteran who was the league’s first openly gay player, died at 47 following a battle with glioblastoma, his family announced on Tuesday.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” the Collins family said in a statement shared by the NBA this afternoon. “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.”
