Kamal Ghorui
Jason Collins leaves behind far more than a basketball résumé. The former NBA center, remembered as the league’s first openly gay active player, died Tuesday at 47 following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. His family confirmed the news alongside the NBA, closing a difficult chapter that Collins had publicly faced with remarkable honesty over the past year.Collins built a 13-year NBA career through toughness, intelligence, and quiet leadership, playing for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards. Yet his influence stretched beyond wins and losses. When Collins came out publicly in 2013, he changed the conversation around inclusion in professional sports and became a symbol of courage for athletes across generations.
Jason Collins’ cause of death
Jason Collins died after what his family described as a “valiant fight with glioblastoma.” The cancer diagnosis became public in late 2025 after Collins revealed doctors had discovered an inoperable brain tumor while investigating issues with concentration and focus.He later described the disease in painful detail, calling the tumor “a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball.” Doctors warned him he had only months to live without treatment.Even then, Collins approached the fight with the same openness that defined much of his public life. “If that’s all the time I have left. I’d rather spend it trying a course of treatment that might one day be a new standard of care for everyone,” he said.The former Stanford standout underwent treatment with Avastin and also traveled to Singapore for targeted chemotherapy in hopes of slowing the tumor’s growth. Throughout the process, he remained candid about the emotional weight of the diagnosis.“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. This is me. This is what I’m dealing with.”
NBA mourns Jason Collins’ demise
Tributes quickly poured in from across the basketball world. The Nets, where Collins spent eight seasons and reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, called his death heartbreaking.“Those who were around Jason every day knew him not just as a competitor, but as a genuinely kind, thoughtful person who brought people together,” the franchise wrote.NBA commissioner Adam Silver also honored Collins’ legacy, saying, “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.”The Celtics described him as “a pioneer in the NBA and professional sports,” while the Wizards shared condolences following his battle with glioblastoma.
What makes glioblastoma so serious?
Glioblastoma, often called GBM, is considered the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. It develops in astrocytes, cells that support nerve function in the brain. The disease is especially dangerous because it spreads quickly and can affect speech, memory, balance, vision, and movement, depending on where the tumor grows.There is currently no known cure for glioblastoma. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted drugs may slow its progression, but the cancer remains one of the most difficult brain diseases to treat successfully.
