TITLE: Jason Collins Undergoing Treatment for Brain Tumor, Family Says
SLUG: jason-collins-undergoing-treatment-for-brain-tumor
CONTENT:
Former NBA center Jason Collins, the league’s first openly gay player and now an NBA ambassador, is receiving medical care for a brain tumor, his family announced on Thursday.
“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,” the statement released through NBA Communications read.
13-Year NBA Career
Collins, 46, was chosen 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA Draft out of Stanford University and was immediately traded to the New Jersey Nets. Over 13 seasons, the 7-foot center appeared in 735 regular-season games, starting 477, with the Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards. He averaged 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 20.4 minutes while shooting 41.1% from the field and 64.7% from the free-throw line.
In February 2014, Collins returned to the Nets on a 10-day contract and retired that November. During stints with the Celtics, Wizards, and Nets, he wore No. 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, whose 1998 murder led to federal hate-crime legislation.
Pioneering Public Coming-Out
In April 2013, Collins revealed in a Sports Illustrated essay that he is gay, becoming the first active openly gay athlete in the four major North American professional sports leagues. “I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue,” he wrote at the time.
Personal Life
Collins was previously engaged to former WNBA center Carolyn Moos, ending the relationship in 2009. He has been with film producer Brunson Green since June 2014; the couple became engaged during a 2023 Pride Night at a Los Angeles Lakers game and were married over Memorial Day weekend in May 2025 in Austin, Texas, with friends and family—including longtime teammate Richard Jefferson—in attendance.
NBA teams, including the Nets, expressed support for Collins and his family after Thursday’s announcement.
Source: Basketball Insiders
