NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Collins will posthumously be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his impact on LGBTQ+ visibility in pro sports at The ESPYS in July.
Collins was the NBA's first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league. The 13-year center died May 12 of a brain tumor at age 47.
Before his death, Collins publicly shared his cancer journey and spoke openly about his prognosis in hopes of advancing understanding and helping others facing similar diagnoses.
The Ashe award is given to a person who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in. It will be accepted by Collins' twin brother, Jarron.
"It is profoundly bittersweet but deeply meaningful to accept the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on my brother’s behalf, celebrating a legacy of visibility, strength, and love that will endure forever,” Jarron Collins said in a statement.
Among the past recipients of the Ashe Award are the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors, NBA player Kevin Love, the U.S. Women’s national soccer team, former NFL player Steve Gleason, and NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Hosted by “Saturday Night Live” comic Marcello Hernández, The ESPYS will air July 15 on ABC from New York. The show will also stream on ESPN+.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Learn how to make some of Jettywave Distillery’s most popular drinks as well as some classics. Read moreMixology 101: Cocktail Crafting
These days, life can feel like it has been turned upside-down. What was relied upon as norma… Read moreInspirational Talk - “A Spiritual Revolution: The Quest to Experience God”
LaurieHietter said:
Thank you, Lisa. I hope all of San Mateo reads this letter. More people need to know.
Dirk van Ulden said:
LaurieHietter said:
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.