Jason Collins, renowned as the NBA’s first openly gay player, has shared a deeply personal and distressing update regarding his ongoing health struggle with a brain tumor.

Collins boldly stepped into the spotlight in 2013, declaring his sexuality in an open letter featured in Sports Illustrated, marking a significant moment in sports history as he became the league’s first openly gay athlete.

Throughout his illustrious basketball career, Collins played for 13 seasons across six different teams. He notably reached the NBA Finals twice with the New Jersey Nets in 2002 and 2003, solidifying his place in the sport’s annals.

This past September, Collins’ family disclosed his diagnosis of a brain tumor, with the NBA confirming that he was set to begin treatment soon thereafter.

Recently, Collins himself has provided more clarity on his condition, revealing the grave news that he is battling Stage 4 glioblastoma.

In a letter to ESPN, he wrote: ‘A few months ago, my family released a short statement saying I had a brain tumor. It was simple, but intentionally vague. 

The NBA’s first openly-gay player Jason Collins gave an update about his brain tumor ordeal

Collins during the NBA/WNBA participation in the New York City Pride Parade in 2024

‘But now it’s time for people to hear directly from me. I have Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. It came on incredibly fast’.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain cancer, a Grade IV tumor that grows rapidly from glial cells in the brain or spinal cord.

It causes symptoms like severe headaches, seizures, weakness, personality changes, and vision/speech issues. 

Collins, 47, went on to reveal that the first warning signs came back in August when he and his partner, Brunson Green, were headed to the US Open.

He said: ‘In August, we were supposed to go to the US Open, just as every year, but when the car came to take us to the airport, I was nowhere near ready. And for the first time in decades, we missed the flight because I couldn’t stay focused to pack.

‘I had been having weird symptoms like this for a week or two, but unless something is really wrong, I’m going to push through. I’m an athlete.

‘Something was really wrong, though. I was in the CT machine at UCLA for all of five minutes before the tech pulled me out and said they were going to have me see a specialist. I’ve had enough CTs in my life to know they last longer than five minutes and whatever the tech had seen on the first images had to be bad.

‘According to my family, in hours, my mental clarity, short-term memory and comprehension disappeared — turning into an NBA player’s version of ‘Dory’ from ‘Finding Nemo.’ 

Collins became the NBA’s first openly gay player when he came out in 2013 in an open letter

Collins is seen at his wedding to Brunson Green. In the background is Jason’s twin, Jarron 

The former Nets and Hawks star went on to discuss the nature of his diagnosis and the ‘promising’ procedures that he has been undergoing as treatment. 

Collins explained: ‘My glioblastoma is ‘multiforme.’ Imagine a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball. 

‘The biopsy revealed that my glio had a growth factor of 30%, meaning that within a matter of weeks, if nothing were to be done, the tumor would run out of room and I’d probably be dead within six weeks to three months.   

‘We’re going to try to hit it first, in ways it’s never been hit: with radiation and chemotherapy and immunotherapy that’s still being studied but offers the most promising frontier of cancer treatment for this type of cancer’. 

‘Because my tumor is unresectable, going solely with the ‘standard of care’ — radiation and TMZ — 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’.

Back in September, the NBA’s statement read: ‘NBA Ambassador and 13-year NBA veteran Jason Collins is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.

‘Jason and his family welcome your support and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as they dedicate their attention to Jason’s health and well-being.’ 

Collins remained closeted for years as he built a reputation as a defensive-minded center

After 13 seasons in the NBA, Collins eventually retired from the game in November 2014

Collins and his twin brother Jarron played together at Stanford before both joined the NBA in 2001.

Although he remained closeted for much of his career, Jason revealed he was gay to Sports Illustrated in May of 2013 as he languished on the free-agent market. 

The following season, his former New Jersey Nets teammate Jason Kidd recruited him to Brooklyn, where Kidd was coaching the newly relocated team.

On February 23, 2014, Collins signed a 10-day contract with the team and in doing so, became the league’s first openly gay player. He’d go on to remain with the Nets for the rest of the season before retiring the following November.