Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, his family announced Thursday.
“Jason and his family welcome your support and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as they dedicate their attention to Jason’s health and well-being,” Collins’ family said in a statement released by the NBA.
The news has sent shockwaves through the basketball community.
Collins was picked 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA draft after playing at Stanford University. He was immediately traded to the New Jersey Nets.
“Sending our love and support to @jasoncollins98 and his family,” the Nets posted on social media.
A Solid NBA Career
The 7-foot center played 13 years in the NBA, appearing in 735 games and starting 477 of them.
He suited up for several teams including the Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards.
Collins wasn’t known for flashy stats, averaging just 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in about 20 minutes per game. But teammates valued his defensive presence and professionalism throughout his career.
In February 2014, Collins returned to the Nets, the team where he’d spent his first seven seasons. He retired just months later in November 2014.
There was meaning behind his jersey number, too. Collins chose to wear No. 98 with the Celtics, Wizards, and Nets to honor Matthew Shepard, a gay man whose 1998 murder led to hate crime legislation.
Breaking Barriers
Collins made history in April 2013 when he came out in a powerful Sports Illustrated article. The announcement made him the first active, openly gay athlete in any major North American sports league.
“When I was younger, I dated women,” he wrote in the essay. “I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.”
His journey to self-acceptance wasn’t easy.
Collins had been in an eight-year relationship with former WNBA center Carolyn Moos and was engaged to her before calling off the wedding in 2009. Reports suggest he was struggling with accepting his sexuality at the time.
Since June 2014, Collins has been with film producer Brunson Green.
The couple got engaged in 2023 during a special Pride Night at a Los Angeles Lakers game.
Just a few months ago, in May 2025, they tied the knot over Memorial Day weekend in Austin, Texas. Family and friends celebrated with them, including Collins’ longtime teammate Richard Jefferson.
Now, as Collins faces this health challenge, the basketball world is rallying behind the trailblazer who changed the sport forever.
