On September 12th Beijing time, an official NBA statement revealed that Jason Collins, a center who spent 13 years in the NBA, is now undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, as announced by his family today.

The statement said: "Jason and his family are grateful for the support and blessings from everyone, and they respectfully request privacy to allow the family to concentrate on Jason’s health and healing process."

In 2013, Collins became the first active athlete in the four major North American professional sports leagues—NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL—to publicly come out as gay. After retiring, he served as an NBA ambassador, continuing to advocate for the sport of basketball.

Now 46 years old, Collins was the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 draft and officially retired in 2014. His final season was with the Brooklyn Nets, the team he spent the longest time with during his career. He also played for the Hawks, Celtics, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Wizards.

During his career, Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. His best season came in 2004-05 with the New Jersey Nets, where he averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

NBC Sports reporter Kurt Helin noted that although Collins’ career statistics were not outstanding, his professionalism and consistent defensive performance were widely acknowledged. In June this year, Collins married his longtime partner, film producer Brendon Greene.