Former NBA player Jason Collins, the first openly gay active athlete in league history, revealed he is battling stage 4 glioblastoma. The 47-year-old shared details of his rapid symptoms and treatment plans in an ESPN interview. Collins emphasized his determination to fight the aggressive cancer through innovative therapies.
Jason Collins, whose 13-year NBA career included stints with six teams after starring at Stanford, announced on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. In an interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Collins described how symptoms emerged rapidly over the summer, including brain fog, difficulty focusing, and short-term memory loss. By August, he struggled to pack for a US Open trip, leading to a CT scan at UCLA that revealed a baseball-sized tumor encroaching on his frontal lobe.
The diagnosis came as a shock, with doctors initially warning of a prognosis of six weeks to three months without intervention. Collins noted the tumor's unresectable nature due to its location, making standard treatments like radiation and chemotherapy—such as TMZ and Avastin—offer an average survival of 11 to 14 months. Opting for a more aggressive approach, he is undergoing radiation in the US and targeted chemotherapy in Singapore, aiming to stall tumor growth long enough for personalized immunotherapy.
"What makes glioblastoma so dangerous is that it grows within a very finite, contained space—the skull—and it's very aggressive and can expand," Collins said. He drew parallels to his 2013 coming out as the NBA's first openly gay active player, hoping to share his story on his terms to inspire others. "I have cancer, but just like my grandmother fought it, I'm going to fight it," he added, contrasting his grandmother's aversion to the word.
Collins' family issued a vague NBA statement in September about his brain tumor treatment to protect his privacy during early mental challenges. Now 47 and living in Los Angeles with husband Brunson Green, he recounted a frightening fall at home but resolved not to panic. His career stats include 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, with a peak of 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2004-05 for the New Jersey Nets. Collins retired in 2014 and serves as an NBA ambassador.