Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player, who died of glioblastoma on May 12, 2026, was raised by Los Angeles parents Paul and Portia Collins alongside his twin brother Jarron. This family quietly shaped one of sport’s most historic lives.
Jason Collins made history twice, first as a 13-year NBA veteran who became the first openly gay man to play in a major American professional team sport, and again when he faced a terminal brain cancer diagnosis with the same quiet resolve that defined his career.
He died on May 12, 2026, at 47, leaving behind a husband, a twin brother, and a family whose values shaped everything he became.
Who Are Jason Collins’ Parents? The Northridge Family Behind an NBA Pioneer
Paul and Portia Collins, both insurance agents, raised their twin sons in Northridge, a neighborhood in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley.
From the start, the household emphasized education and hard work. Jason and his twin brother, Jarron, attended Harvard-Westlake, one of Los Angeles’s most competitive private schools, where they won back-to-back California Division III state basketball titles.
Their four-year combined record stood at 123 wins and just 10 losses. Jason alone set the California career high school rebounding record at 1,500 boards, a mark that held until 2010.
Both brothers went on to play together at Stanford University, a testament to the foundation Paul and Portia built. Jason finished his college career with a .608 field goal percentage, still the best in Stanford history.
Former Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery, in a statement following Jason’s death, said the twins “thought so alike” but that Jason was “unique in his own way,” describing him as “big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person.”
When he publicly came out in a Sports Illustrated cover story in April 2013, becoming the first active male athlete in a major North American team sport to do so, his family stood firmly behind him.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.”
Jason Collins Family
Who Is Jason Collins’ Husband Brunson Green?
Collins built a family of his own after retirement, beginning a relationship with Hollywood film producer Brunson Green in June 2014.
Green is best known for producing “The Help” and leading Harbinger Pictures in Los Angeles. The couple got engaged at the Los Angeles Lakers Pride Night in 2023 and married in Austin, Texas, in May 2025, just a year before Collins’ death.
Green stood by Collins through his glioblastoma diagnosis and treatment, which included a drug called Avastin and trips to Singapore for targeted chemotherapy.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his statement following Collins’ passing, specifically extended condolences to “Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends, and colleagues across our leagues.”
Jason once said his one goal in life was “to have a positive impact on someone else’s life.” In Brunson Green, he found someone who stood beside him as he did exactly that.
FAQs
What disease did Jason Collins have?
Jason Collins was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive and inoperable form of brain cancer, and died from it on May 12, 2026, at age 47.
Who was Jason Collins’ ex-fiancée?
Collins was previously engaged to former WNBA center Carolyn Moos after an eight-year relationship, but called off the wedding in 2009.
What is Jason Collins’ ethnicity?
Jason Collins is of mixed ethnicity; he has African American and Caucasian heritage.
What was Jason Collins’ net worth in 2026?
At the time of his death in May 2026, Jason Collins had an estimated net worth of around $14 million, accumulated over his 13-season NBA career.
