Jason Collins, 47, NBA's first openly gay player dies after battling brain cancer

Jason Collins, former NBA player and the league first openly gay athlete, has passed away aged 47. The tragic news was announced by Collins' family on Tuesday (May 12). He was suffering from stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was undergoing treatment for the same but unfortunalety passed away. Collins played in the NBA for 14 years including for the Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets. He came out as gay in 2013 while still playing in the NBA and his decision to come out was praised both inside and outside the league.

Collins family shares statement via NBA

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," read the statement released by the NBA on behalf of Collins family. "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."

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Collins had revealed last year via ESPN that he is suffering from Stage 4 glioblastoma - a form of brain cancer. "Imagine a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball," he had described in his letter.

"The goal is to keep fighting the progress of the tumors long enough for a personalized immunotherapy to be made for me, and to keep me healthy enough to receive that immunotherapy once it's ready," he had shared.

Collins in NBA

Collins was active in NBA from 2001-02 season to 2013-14 and retired shortly after coming out as gay. "I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay," he had written in eassy for Sports Illustrated back in 2013 while coming out.

He played for New Jersey Nets from 2001-02 to 2007-08 before moving to Memphis Grizzlies in the second half of the 2007-08 season. In 2008-09, he played for Minnesota Timberwolves before going to Atlanta Hawks from 2009-10 to 2011-12. He split the 2012-13 season between the Celtics and the Washington Wizards before playing his final season with the Brooklyn Nets (erstwhile NJ Nets) before calling his time.

He featured in 735 regular season games in NBA, averaging 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.