Christian James McCollum commonly known as CJ McCollum is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans born on September 19, 1991.
CJ is the first NBA player to join the draft class out of a Private institution called Lehigh.
McCollum was picked tenth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Career
CJ played high school basketball for the Golden Eagles at GlenOak High School in his native city of Canton, Ohio.
Despite his small stature (he stood only five feet and two inches tall), he played varsity for the Golden Eagles, depending on his athleticism.
McCollum worked on improving his shooting stroke throughout his high school career, and his efforts paid off as he averaged 29.3 points per game during his senior season.
McCollum had become the Golden Eagles’ all-time greatest scorer with 1405 career points by graduation, and he was voted Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year for his last season, the 2008–09 season.
At College McCollum played at the private research school Lehigh University for four seasons.
He was the leading freshman scorer in the nation and the first player in Patriot League history to be named conference Player and Rookie of the Year.
Despite the fact that he was almost certain to be a top NBA draft pick by his third year, McCollum chose to finish his last year of college rather than leave earlier for the NBA; a consummate journalist, McCollum authored an essay for Sporting News detailing why he chose to continue his schooling.
McCollum passed Rob Feaster as the Patriot League’s all-time leading scorer on November 25, 2012, when he scored 26 points in a 91–77 win over Sacred Heart.
McCollum went on to graduate from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism received May 20, 2013.
McCollum was picked tenth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
He signed his rookie scale contract with the franchise on July 11, and he proceeded to play for them in the NBA Summer League.
With just star point guard Damian Lillard remaining after the departures of LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, and Robin Lopez, CJ was upgraded to starting shooting guard to join Lillard in the backcourt for the 2015–16 season.
As a result, his minutes increased.
McCollum would subsequently earn NBA Most Improved Player honors for his breakout 2015–16 season.
He helped his side into the playoffs but was knocked out by the Golden State Warriors after losing 4-1 in the series.
On July 27, 2016, McCollum signed a four-year contract extension with Portland.
CJ will go on to start 80 of the 82 games that 2016-17 season.
The Blazers finished the regular season with a 41–41 record and entered the playoffs as the eighth seed.
He helped the Blazers advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 in the 2018-19 season only to be swept by the Warriors.
CJ McCollum Trade to the New Orleans Pelicans
CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., and Tony Snell were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on February 8, 2022, for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomás Satoransky, Didi Louzada, a protected 2022 first-round draft pick, the better of New Orleans’ and Portland’s 2026 second-round draft picks, and New Orleans’ 2027 second-round draft pick.
McCollum made his Pelicans debut two days later, scoring 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out five assists in a 112–97 loss to the Miami Heat.
CJ McCollum’s College and High School
He attended Lehigh University for College where he studied Journalism.
And GlenOak High School for High School.
Who is CJ McCollum’s Wife?
CJ McCollum is married to Elise Esposito McCollum, a doctor of dental surgery and graduate of Columbia University.
CJ McCollum Wine and Vineyard
CJ McCollum and his wife own a vineyard.
Last year, McCollum and his wife Elise (who introduced CJ to wine in college) launched their own wine label, McCollum Heritage 91.
The first release (of what is soon to be four), a 2018 Pinot Noir produced with grapes from the Chehalem Mountains in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, sold out in under an hour.
