In August 2025, Jason Collins and his husband, Brunson Green, were getting ready for a trip to the US Open. It was supposed to be a normal summer getaway. But Collins, a man who spent 13 seasons in the NBA banging bodies in the paint, suddenly couldn't do something as simple as pack a suitcase. He just couldn't focus. He’d stand in a room and lose track of time. Honestly, it sounded like a case of burnout or maybe a weird virus. But as the 47-year-old former center soon found out, it was the start of a nightmare.
A week later, he fell in his Los Angeles home. He couldn't figure out how to get back up. He just stayed there in a plank position, frozen.
The news that trickled out later that September was vague. The NBA released a statement saying Collins was being treated for a "brain tumor," but they didn't give details. They asked for privacy. People wondered. Was it treatable? Was it benign? On December 11, 2025, Collins finally spoke up in a raw, gut-wrenching essay for ESPN. He didn't have a simple tumor. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
The Reality of the Jason Collins Brain Tumor Diagnosis
Glioblastoma is basically the monster under the bed in the medical world. It’s an aggressive, fast-moving cancer that doesn't play by the rules. For Collins, the tumor was "multiforme," meaning it had tentacle-like structures spreading across the underside of his brain. It was roughly the width of a baseball.
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The scariest part? It was encroaching on his frontal lobe. That’s the part of the brain that handles your personality and who you actually are.
Most people don't realize how fast this moves. Doctors told Collins that his tumor had a growth factor of 30%. To put that in perspective: without immediate intervention, he likely would have been dead within six weeks to three months. His mental clarity had vanished in a matter of hours during those first few days at UCLA. He described himself as becoming a human version of "Dory" from Finding Nemo.
Why surgery wasn't an option
In many brain cancer cases, the first step is to cut the thing out. But the Jason Collins brain tumor was labeled "unresectable." It was in both hemispheres of his brain—what doctors call a "butterfly" shape. You can't just cut that out without losing the person inside.
Instead, he had to look for a "Trojan Horse." Because his tumor's genetic makeup made standard chemotherapy (temozolomide) useless, he headed to a clinic in Singapore. They use something called EnGeneIC Dream Vectors (EDVs). Essentially, these are nano-cells that bypass the blood-brain barrier to deliver a "toxic payload" directly into the tumor cells.
It’s experimental. It’s expensive. And for Jason, it’s a way to buy enough time for his body to receive personalized immunotherapy.
Breaking the Wall One More Time
When Jason Collins came out as gay in 2013, he was the first active male athlete in the four major North American sports to do so. He knows what it's like to be the "first through the wall." He told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that he feels like he’s in that same position again. He’s not just fighting for his life; he’s trying to be a test case for a new standard of care.
The statistics for glioblastoma are grim. We’re talking about an average prognosis of 11 to 14 months with standard care.
But Jason isn't looking at the averages.
- He’s already regained enough clarity to walk and use his phone.
- He’s working with specialists in Singapore and the US.
- His twin brother, Jarron, has been his rock, telling him he has to "fight no matter what."
It’s easy to look at a celebrity health crisis and see a headline. But this is about a man who just got married in May 2025, only to be told months later that his brain was being overtaken by a "Hydra" that grows two heads for every one you cut off.
What to watch for: The symptoms he ignored
Before he was pulled out of a CT scan after only five minutes—a sign every patient knows is "bad news"—Collins had "weird symptoms" for about two weeks.
- Memory loss: Forgetting why he walked into a room.
- Focus issues: The inability to complete a routine task like packing.
- Physical imbalance: Unexplained falls or difficulty maneuvering his own limbs.
- Sensory changes: His husband noticed Jason wanted to take his clothes off because they suddenly "didn't feel right."
If you’re an athlete, or even just someone used to "powering through," these things are easy to dismiss. Collins admitted he tried to push through it. He was a pro athlete; he was used to pain. But brain tumors don't care how tough you are.
Moving Forward with Glioblastoma Awareness
Right now, the goal is stabilization. Jason is currently using Avastin to try and starve the tumor of its blood supply while the targeted chemo does its work. He’s open about the fact that he has the financial means to chase these treatments in Singapore—something most families can't do. That’s why he’s sharing the story. He wants the "experimental" stuff he's doing to eventually become the "standard" for everyone else.
It’s a heavy burden to carry, being the face of a "death sentence" diagnosis. But then again, Jason Collins has spent his entire post-NBA life carrying heavy burdens for the sake of others.
If you or someone you know is dealing with sudden, unexplained cognitive shifts, don't wait. A CT scan takes minutes, but it can be the difference between having weeks left and having a fighting chance. Jason's grandmother fought Stage 4 cancer and beat the odds. He’s planning on doing the same.
Actionable Steps for Brain Health Advocacy
- Support Research: Organizations like the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) or the National Brain Tumor Society provide resources for patients facing glioblastoma.
- Listen to Your Body: If "brain fog" feels more like "brain absence," or if you find yourself struggling with motor skills you’ve had your whole life, seek a neurological consult immediately.
- Check Clinical Trials: For aggressive cancers like this, the "standard of care" is often just the beginning. Sites like ClinicalTrials.gov list emerging treatments that might be more effective for specific genetic markers.