Jason Collins, the first openly gay active player in the NBA, has died at the age of 47 after battling cancer, his family said on Tuesday.
Collins revealed in September that he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumour and later disclosed he had stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” the family said in a statement.
Collins made headlines in 2013 when he became the first active male athlete in one of North America’s four major professional sports leagues to publicly come out as gay.
The center played 13 seasons in the NBA. He was selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 draft then was traded to the then-New Jersey Nets on draft night. He also had stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.
Collins helped the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 alongside teammates Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson.
After a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated disclosing he was gay, Collins received widespread support across the sports world, including from then-U.S. President Barack Obama.