Celtics Send Love to Former Boston Center Dealing With Brain Tumor

The former center is battling something very serious.

May 6, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) and Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collins (34) go up for the opening tip in the first quarter of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. They have won the most championships of anyone in the league, mainly because of their star players.

Of course, they don't win those titles without the help of key role players. Role players play an important part on any championship-winning team. The Celtics have had plenty of those.

Jason Collins is the perfect example of a role player. He carved out a really nice career for himself, playing for 13 seasons in the NBA. Now, he's facing something very serious.

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Former Boston Celtics center Jason Collins has a brain tumor

Unfortunately, Collins has a brain tumor that he is now battling. Obviously, this is something that is extremely serious that requires a lot of attention and care.

The Celtics made sure to send their well-wishes to him, posing a nice message on social media.

The Celtics family sends its love and support to Jason Collins 💚 pic.twitter.com/gXfkFeEDV9

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 11, 2025

Collins only played one season with the Celtics, but that doesn't mean that some fans don't love what he brought to the team. He was also a pioneer not just in the NBA, but in the major pro sports leagues in America.

Collins became the first player to come out as gay in any of the major four sports league while he was currently playing. That was a seminal moment not just in the NBA, but in American sports.

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That gave the courage to other athletes to come out, as well. That is what Collins will be remembered for more than anything he actually did on the court in the NBA.

The Celtics will help Collins out if he needs it

No matter how long a player plays for the Celtics, Boston considers them family. The Celtics would certainly help Collins if he needed help with anything at any point.

It's unclear what Collins' prognosis is. He's just trying to take things day by day and treat everything as it comes. Everyone around the NBA is certainly pulling for him to make a full recovery.

In his 13-year NBA career, Collins averaged 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. He shot 41.1 percent from the field and 20.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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