Jason Collins announced on Tuesday that he has stage 4 brain cancer.
In an emotional article he wrote with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne in which he chronicled his treatment and experiences over the last several months, Collins confirmed that he has Stage 4 glioblastoma, "one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer."
Collins had been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor which his family first announced back in September.
Collins, who played 13 years in the NBA and was the first active openly gay player in NBA history, said that he first became suspicious in August. When trying to pack for a trip to attend the US Open, Collins said he could not focus which caused them to miss their flight.
After experiencing other strange symptoms including a fall at his house in which he couldn't figure out how to pick himself up, Collins went to the hospital for a CT scan which ultimately revealed his brain tumor. Further tests and a biopsy later confirmed the glioblastoma diagnosis.
Although Stage 4 glioblastoma is a terminal diagnosis with standard prognosis between 11-14 months, Collins announced that he is undergoing special treatment in Singapore.
"I'm fortunate to be in a financial position to go wherever in the world I need to go to get treatment. So if what I'm doing doesn't save me, I feel good thinking that it might help someone else who gets a diagnosis like this one day."
Collins was the 18th overall pick in 2001 following a four-year college career at Stanford. He played for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. His twin brother Jarron played 10 seasons in the NBA.