Former NBA Player Jason Collins' Official Cause of Death Revealed After Brain Cancer Battle

Former NBA player Jason Collins had two surgeries weeks before his shocking and untimely death at age 47.

According to a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 19, Collins underwent a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt procedure on April 20. The medical device can be surgically implanted to relieve excess cerebrospinal fluid pressure on the brain usually caused by hydrocephalus, per the National Library of Medicine.

via: EW

A week after the passing of NBA player Jason Collins, the official cause of his death has been revealed.

The 47-year-old athlete died of respiratory failure with underlying contributing conditions including a pulmonary embolism, hydrocephalus (buildup of fluid in the brain), and glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.

Collins, who made history in 2014 as the first openly gay NBA player, announced his glioblastoma diagnosis in September 2025, only four months after he married The Help producer Brunson Green.

The 7-foot center, who played for the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, died on May 12, two weeks before what would have been his and Green’s first wedding anniversary.

According to Collins’ death certificate, his body was cremated on May 15.

“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” his heartbroken family said in a statement. “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 played 13 seasons in the NBA, after being drafted in 2001 along with his twin brother Jarron, who is currently an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jarron, his wife Elsa, and their three children remembered Jason at a memorial event over the weekend, each sharing the impact he made on their lives.

“I just saw something online that made me really put everything into perspective,” said one of his nieces in a video posted on Elsa’s Instagram. “My uncle said when he came out, ‘if not for me, then for someone else.’ I saw a video today and in the comments section somebody said, ‘I came out today.’ He didn’t even know them, but he already made such a big impact on their life. And I think that really sums up who he was as a person.”

As he battled brain cancer, Collins chose radiation along with Avastin, a drug used to stop the tumor’s growth, a combination he hoped would save the lives of others with glioblastoma in the future.

“The average prognosis is only 11 to 14 months. If that's all the time I have left, I'd rather spend it trying a course of treatment that might one day be a new standard of care for everyone,” he told ESPN in December. "After I came out, someone I really respect told me that my choice to live openly could help someone who I might never meet. I've held onto that for years. And if I can do that again now, then that matters."