Former NBA center Jason Collins, who was the first active, openly gay professional in the American 'Big 4' sports, revealed that he's currently undergoing treatment for Stage 4 glioblastoma in an exclusive piece he published with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne on Thursday (December 11).

"A few months ago, my family released a short statement saying I had a brain tumor. It was simple, but intentionally vague," Collins wrote. "They did that to protect my privacy while I was mentally unable to speak for myself and my loved ones were trying to understand what we were dealing with.

"But now it's time for people to hear directly from me. I have Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. It came on incredibly fast."

Collins, 47, played for six NBA teams -- the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (2001-08; 2014), Memphis Grizzlies (2008), Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-09), Atlanta Hawks (2009-12), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Washington Wizards (2013) -- during his 13-year NBA career, coming out as the first active openly gay player in league history in 2013 and said he aims to take a similar path with his glioblastoma battle.

"After I came out, someone I really respect told me that my choice to live openly could help someone who I might never meet," Collins said. "I've held onto that for years. And if I can do that again now, then that matters."

Glioblastoma is defined by the Mayo Clinic as "a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue" and "forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells." Collins averaged 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists during his NBA career, which concluded in 2014.

Simon Conway