The first openly homosexual player in the NBA, Jason Collins, died following a terrifying fight with a brain tumor. The 47-year-old retired center had just been married to film producer Brunson Green for a year.
In a statement, the Collins family said:
‘We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,’
‘Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.
‘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.’
The NBA observed a minute of silence for Collins and Brandon Clarke, the Memphis Grizzlies forward who was declared dead earlier in the day, on Tuesday prior to Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals in San Antonio.
Collins spent the majority of his career in the closet, but in May 2013, as he was sitting on the free-agent market, he told Sports Illustrated that he was gay.
