Jason Collins passed away at 47 years old, his family announced on Tuesday.
Collins, the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, passed away due to stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. He played 13 seasons for eight teams, including eight as a member of the Nets. Collins, who entered the league the same year as his twin Jarron, was the first active, openly gay player to play in the NBA and remains the only one. One of Collins’ roles in his post-NBA career was serving as an NBA Cares Ambassador.