Jason Collins, a longtime NBA veteran and the league’s first openly gay player, died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer.
He was 47 years old.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother, and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” his family said in a statement through the NBA.
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“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.”
Collins’ NBA journey began in 2001, when he was selected in the first round by the Houston Rockets. But that was just the start. Before his career came to an end in 2014, he would
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