Famous athletes who died too young under tragic circumstances

Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, died on May 12, 2026, aged 47. The athlete, who played 13 seasons for six different NBA franchises, passed away after a "valiant fight" with stage 4 glioblastoma, "one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer."

"We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma," his family announced in a statement shared by the NBA.

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. 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."

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died aged 29 on May 11, 2026, his NBA team confirmed in a statement. He was found at a home in the San Fernando Valley and pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke. Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an ever better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten," the team said in a statement. "We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time."

At the time of writing, a cause of death has not been confirmed.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died on November 6, 2025, at the age of 24, in Frisco, Texas, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, hours after crashing his car following a police chase. 

"It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning," the team said in a statement. "Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family."

Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis died on July 27, 1993. He was 27. Reggie collapsed from sudden cardiac death during an off-season practice at Brandeis University while preparing for the 1993-94 NBA season.

Reggie's death was attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, "a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thickened, also called hypertrophied," making it harder for the heart to pump blood.

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died aged 24 after his femoral artery was severed by a bullet following a botched robbery at his home in Florida on November 26, 2007. The NFL star was rushed to the hospital and underwent several hours of surgery, but died on November 27, 2007. Four men involved in the robbery were arrested, but it took seven years for the shooter, Eric Rivera, to be sentenced to 57 years in prison in 2014.

Record-breaking sprinter and Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner died in her sleep at her home in Mission Viejo, California, on September 21, 1998, after suffering an epileptic seizure that caused her to suffocate. The sprinter was just 38. According to her autopsy, the seizure was brought on by a congenital defect in her brain called a cavernous angioma, a condition that causes abnormal, thin-walled blood vessels to accumulate in the brain or spinal cord, which slows blood flow and can cause seizures.

Croatian NBA star Dražen Petrović, who played for the New Jersey Nets, was killed instantly on June 7, 1993, in Germany after the car he was a passenger in collided with a truck that had skidded across the median on the Autobahn (motorway). He was 28.

"Drazen Petrovic was an extraordinary young man, and a true pioneer in the global sport of basketball," the late NBA Commissioner David Stern said at the time. "A lasting part of his athletic legacy will be that he paved the way for other international players to compete successfully in the NBA. His contributions to the sport of basketball were enormous. We are all proud of the fact we knew him."

Canadian freestyle skier, Sarah Burke, died aged 29 on January 19, 2012, nine days after she was injured in a training accident on a half-pipe course in Utah. The Winter X Games champion suffered "severe irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," her publicist said in a statement at the time.

"As the result of Sarah's fall, she suffered a ruptured vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries supplying blood to the brain. The rupture of this artery led to a severe intracranial hemorrhage, which caused Sarah to go into cardiac arrest on the scene," the statement added. 

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Los Angeles, on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41. The late NBA star died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, and seven others, while traveling to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for Gianna's basketball game.

The pair's death certificates listed their cause of death as blunt force trauma. They were laid to rest in a private funeral in California, followed by a wider, public memorial service at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Formula One legend Aryton Senna died on May 1, 1994, at the age of 34 during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola. The Brazilian was killed instantly after his car came off the track and hit a concrete barrier.

The Brazilian government declared national mourning for three days after his death, and an estimated three million people lined the streets of São Paulo as a fire truck transported his coffin from the airport into the city upon its return from Italy.

In April 2007, it was determined that the crash was due to "a steering-column failure, caused by badly designed and badly executed modifications."