The Boston Celtics are riding a five-game win streak heading into their Thursday night matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ahead of this game, though, the team received some worrisome news regarding one of their former players, Jason Collins.
During the 2012-13 season, Collins suited up for the Celtics in 32 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. While Collins suited up for several other teams over the course of his 13-year NBA career, he is most well-known for being the first openly gay player in the NBA.
Back in September, Collins revealed that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and that he would begin undergoing treatment. On Thursday, Collins revealed that he is battling Stage 4 glioblastoma, which is a deadly form of brain cancer.
“A few months ago, my family released a short statement saying I had a brain tumor,” Collins wrote in an article on ESPN. “It was simple, but intentionally vague. 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.”
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While the disease is very dangerous, Collins is battling it head-on. Similar to how he was public with his decision to come out as gay during his playing career, Collins is attempting to shed light on what he’s going through in an attempt to potentially help folks who find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
There’s no doubt that the Celtics and the rest of the NBA community are pulling for Collins in his battle with cancer. In the meantime, Boston’s upcoming contest against Milwaukee is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
