Jason Collins Diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma

Jason Collins, the retired NBA center who made history as the first openly gay active player in a major North American professional sports league, announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.

The 47-year-old Collins shared the details in an interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, three months after his family first revealed he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Symptoms began in August when Collins experienced sudden brain fog and scattered thoughts, causing him and his husband, Brunson Green, to miss a flight to the U.S. Open. Around that time, he also fell in his home and struggled to regain his balance. A CT scan at UCLA Medical Center quickly raised alarms, with the technician halting the procedure early to refer him to a specialist. A subsequent biopsy confirmed the glioblastoma, which has spread to both hemispheres of his brain and is encroaching on the frontal lobe, affecting mental clarity, short-term memory, and comprehension.

Collins described the tumor as unresectable, meaning it cannot be surgically removed, and noted its rapid growth, with a factor of 30 that could have proven...