Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47 from brain cancer

Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died, the NBA announced. He was 47. Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay , an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career. Collins announced he was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma in December, which has an extremely low survival rate. In a statement through the NBA , the Collins' family said the former NBA player died "after a valiant fight with glioblastoma." Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins dribbles the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Feb. 23, 2014, in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill / AP "Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said. "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." Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him. "I told my brother this before I came here: He's the bravest, strongest man I've ever known," Jarron Collins said while accepting that award. …