1978-2026
Who Was Jason Collins?
Former NBA basketball player Jason Paul Collins became the first male athlete in the four major North American professional sports to come out as gay in 2013. Born in Northridge, California, Collins played basketball with his twin brother, Jarron, in high school and at Stanford University. Drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 2001, he developed into a capable defender for multiple NBA teams. On April 29, 2013, he publicly confirmed his sexuality. After his playing career, Collins became a valued ambassador for the sport. He died at age 47 from complications of brain cancer on May 12, 2026.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Jason Paul Collins
BORN: December 2, 1978
DIED: May 12, 2026
BIRTHPLACE: Los Angeles, California
SPOUSE: Brunson Green (2025-2026)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius
Early Years and Education
Jason and Jarron played basketball for Harvard-Westlake High School in North Hollywood, California, where future Hollywood actor Jason Segel served as their backup. The brothers won a pair of California State championships together. As a senior in 1997, Jason was named to the McDonald’s High School Basketball All-American Team.
The twins enrolled at Stanford University. Limited to eight games over his first two seasons because of injuries, Jason averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his senior year and was an honorable mention on the All-America Team. He graduated with a degree in communications and was the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, joining the New Jersey Nets in a trade with the Houston Rockets.
NBA Career
NBA player Jason Collins for the Boston Celtics
Getty Images
Jason Collins played for multiple NBA teams, including the Boston Celtics.
Collins never became a star in the NBA, but at a stature of 7 feet and 255 pounds, he defended the league’s best and largest players and logged regular minutes for the Nets teams that reached the NBA finals in 2002 and 2003. He had his best season in 2004-05 when he averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, but he also had a league-high 322 personal fouls.
Collins played with the Memphis Grizzlies in early 2008, then spent the following season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He found a home with the Atlanta Hawks for the next three seasons, providing his usual tough defense off the bench to help them reach the playoffs each time. He played sparingly during the 2012-13 season for the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, averaging just 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, before becoming a free agent.
In 2014, Collins signed a 10-day contract with the now-Brooklyn Nets, officially making him the first out athlete to sign with a U.S. professional sports team. Later that year, Collins again signed a 10-day deal with the Nets that was extended through the rest of the season.
On November 19, 2014, Collins announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played 13 seasons in the NBA.
Following his retirement, Collins became a member of President Barack Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. He also began a public speaking career and served as an NBA Cares Ambassador, spreading goodwill on behalf of the league with its players, community, and corporate partners.
Coming Out
On April 29, 2013, the internet reacted to the revelation that Collins was gay, making him the first out active male athlete in the four major North American sports. In an article released in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated, Collins made his official announcement and explained his reasoning for coming out when he did.
Having grown tired of guarding his secret for years, he was frustrated when he could not join his former roommate, Massachusetts Congressman Joseph Kennedy III, and participate in Boston’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade. Furthermore, he said, the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013 made him realize the impermanence of everyday life and the importance of living truthfully.
Following the announcement, NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash tweeted their support. White House spokesman Jay Carney lauded Collins’s statement as a courageous act, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, whose daughter, Chelsea, attended Stanford with Collins, wrote that the basketball star’s words were “the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities.”
More NBA and WNBA Players
Husband and Personal Life
Collins was engaged to his ex-girlfriend, former WNBA player Carolyn Moos, before he unexpectedly called off their wedding in 2009. The same day the Sports Illustrated story ran in 2013, Collins called Moos to tell her he was gay. It was the first time the two had discussed the matter.
Collins began dating Oscar-nominated producer Brunson Green as early as 2014. The couple married in May 2025, with guests including actor Octavia Spencer.
Cancer Diagnosis and Death
In September 2025, Collins’s family released a statement revealing the athlete was receiving treatment for a brain tumor. Months later in December, Collins shared in an essayfor ESPN that he was battling Stage 4 glioblastoma, or an advanced form of brain cancer.
“My glio is extraordinary for all the wrong reasons, and is ‘wild type’—it has all these mutations that make it even more deadly and difficult to treat,” Collins wrote. “What’s that mythical creature where you cut off one head, but it learns to grow two more? The Hydra. That’s the kind of glio I have.” He also revealed his prognosis was 11 to 14 months to live based on standard treatment.
On May 12, 2026, the NBA confirmed Collins had died from his illness through a statement from his family. “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,” league commissioner Adam Silver said.
Quotes
I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.
Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private.
Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!
Headshot of Biography.com Editors
The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us