Jason Collins spent 13 years in the NBA carving out a reputation as a dependable, hardworking big man - a player who never lit up the box score but always did the little things that helped teams win. From his early days with the New Jersey Nets to his final games in Brooklyn, Collins was a steady presence in the paint, a defensive anchor, and a respected voice in the locker room. Now, at 47 years old, he’s facing a far tougher opponent than anything he ever saw on the court.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Collins opened up about his battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma - an aggressive form of brain cancer. It’s a deeply personal fight, and one that has brought a new kind of spotlight to the former Stanford standout.
"I'm now down to 240 pounds, and before this, I was like 260," Collins shared. “That was really crazy to lose that amount of weight.”
The weight loss is just one outward sign of what he’s been dealing with. Over the summer, his family released a statement confirming he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
But this interview marked the first time Collins publicly discussed the full scope of his diagnosis.
“So, I have a glioblastoma. It is butterflied.
It’s pretty much taken over,” he said, describing the severity of his condition. “We just finished a treatment for radiation, but the glioblastoma will learn how to regrow.
It would have doubled in size in like two to three weeks.”
That kind of rapid growth is what makes glioblastoma so dangerous. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, and without treatment, it can be fatal in a matter of months.
Even with aggressive care, the average life expectancy is measured in just over a year. More than 13,000 Americans are diagnosed with it annually - and now, Collins is one of them.
But if you know anything about Jason Collins, you know he’s never backed down from a challenge. “I remember my brother talking about the battle that I’m going to face.
He’s like, ‘You have to fight.’ That’s what I’ve done my whole life is fight,” he said.
That mindset - the willingness to grind, to compete, to endure - is what defined Collins’ NBA career. He never needed to be the star.
He made his mark by doing the dirty work: setting screens, boxing out, rotating on defense, and holding his ground in the post. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game over his career, shooting 41.4% from the field and 64.7% from the line.
Modest numbers, sure, but they don’t tell the full story of his impact on the teams he played for - especially those early-2000s Nets squads that made back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals.
Now, he’s bringing that same quiet toughness to the most important fight of his life. It’s not about stats anymore. It’s about time - and making the most of it.
Collins has always been known for his resilience, whether it was battling in the post or breaking barriers off the court as the first openly gay active player in NBA history. That same strength is carrying him through now. And while the prognosis is daunting, the fight in Jason Collins is very much alive.
For the Nets organization and fans who followed his career, Collins remains a symbol of perseverance. He may no longer be wearing a jersey, but he’s still showing us what it means to compete - with heart, with courage, and with everything he’s got.