The Boston Red Sox celebrated Pride Night at Fenway Park against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Along with it, the team paid tribute to former Boston Celtics center Jason Collins, who passed away last month due to brain cancer. He was 47 years old.
Collins came out as gay in 2013, becoming the first active male athlete from the NBA, the MLB, the NFL, and the NHL to do so. That year, the Red Sox celebrated their first Pride Night and had Collins throw the ceremonial first pitch to honor his courageous act.
On Tuesday, the team brought out Collins’ twin brother, Jarron Collins, to do the same, while wearing the exact jersey his late brother wore in 2013.
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2026
It was a touching moment, to say the least.
In September, the Collins family announced that Jason was receiving treatment for brain cancer. In 2025, he revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Still, he faced it with bravery.
“As an athlete, you learn not to panic in moments like this. These are the cards I’ve been dealt. To me, it’s like, ‘Shut up and go play against Shaq.’ You want the challenge? This is the challenge. And there is no bigger challenge in basketball than going up against prime Shaquille O’Neal, and I’ve done that,” wrote Collins in an essay for ESPN.
He played 13 years in the NBA. Aside from the Celtics, he also suited up for the New Jersey Nets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Washington Wizards. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career.
He played 32 games for the Celtics in 2012-2013 before he was shipped to the Wizards in a midseason trade.
Jarron also played in the NBA, suiting up for four teams in an 11-year career.
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