Former NBA player Jason Collins has announced a devastating cancer diagnosis following a swift and unexpected onset of symptoms.
In a report for ESPN on Thursday, Collins, 47, revealed that earlier this year, doctors had identified ‘one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer’ and confirmed that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
Collins, who made history in 2013 by becoming the first NBA player to come out as gay, had previously alluded to the severe health condition in a brief and cryptic statement released in September. This statement was shared by his family as he was ‘mentally unable to speak for myself.’
He recounted how his initial cancer symptoms ‘appeared incredibly fast,’ with an initial warning sign occurring in August while he was preparing to attend the US Open with his husband, Brunson Green.
Despite the anticipated trip with the ‘love of his life,’ when a cab arrived to take them to the airport, Collins found himself ‘nowhere near ready.’ Strangely, they ended up missing their flight because the athlete was unable to focus on packing.
This situation prompted the couple to reconsider, but Collins’ athletic mentality pushed him to persevere.
He stated: “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.”
However, these symptoms of brain fog persisted, leading Collins to seek expert medical attention.
The former Brooklyn Nets player said he was in a CT scanner ‘for all of five minutes’ before it became evident that something was amiss.
What transpired in the following hours was truly alarming. Collins shared: “In hours, my mental clarity, short-term memory and comprehension disappeared — turning into an NBA player’s version of Dory from Finding Nemo.”
Doctors discovered a serious glioblastoma developing in his brain, deeply embedded and pressing on his frontal lobe, which governs numerous critical functions, including problem-solving and attention span.
Unfortunately, for Collins, this malignant growth had already spread to both hemispheres of his brain.
He described: “My glioblastoma is ‘multiforme.’ Imagine a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball.”
With the support of his family and friends, Collins was encouraged to combat the tumor and has traveled globally to receive advanced treatments in hopes of slowing the progression of the challenging growth.
Nevertheless, even with targeted radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other novel cancer treatments, the NBA star acknowledged that the typical life expectancy for someone in his situation is only 11 to 14 months.
In his heartfelt words, the pioneering athlete explained why narrating his story with sincerity was crucial, given the limited time he may have.
Collins wrote: “One thing I’ve always prided myself on is having the right people in my life. When I came out publicly as the first active gay basketball player in 2013, I told a lot of the people closest to me before I did so.
“I wasn’t worried it would leak before the story came out, because I trusted the people I told. And guess what? Nothing leaked. I got to tell my own story, the way I wanted to.
“And now I can honestly say, the past 12 years since have been the best of my life. Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.