CJ McCollum facts for kids
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McCollum with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022
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| No. 3 – Washington Wizards | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard / point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 19, 1991 Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school | GlenOak (Canton, Ohio) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Lehigh (2009–2013) |
| NBA Draft | 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 2013–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2022 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2014 | →Idaho Stampede |
| 2022–2025 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2025–present | Washington Wizards |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He plays as a shooting guard and point guard for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Before joining the NBA, McCollum played college basketball for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. He was named the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2010 and 2012. The Portland Trail Blazers picked him tenth overall in the 2013 NBA draft. In 2016, he was chosen as the NBA Most Improved Player.
McCollum played for the Trail Blazers until 2022. He was then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans and later to the Wizards in 2025. Since 2021, McCollum has also been the president of the National Basketball Players Association.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
McCollum played high school basketball for the Golden Eagles at GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio. When he was a freshman in 2005, he was quite small, only 5 feet 2 inches tall. Even so, he played on the varsity team because he was very athletic.
McCollum grew a lot during high school. He gained five inches by his second year and another four inches by his third year. This growth helped him get noticed by college recruiters. In his first game as a junior, McCollum scored 54 points. This set new records for his school and Stark County.
Throughout high school, McCollum worked hard to improve his shooting. By his senior year, he averaged 29.3 points per game. He became the Golden Eagles' all-time leading scorer with 1,405 career points. In his final season (2008–09), he was named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year.
College Basketball Career
McCollum played four seasons at Lehigh University. As a freshman in 2009–10, he was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 165 pounds. He quickly made a big impact for the Mountain Hawks. He played in 33 games, starting 31 of them. He averaged 19.1 points and 5 rebounds per game.
He was the top freshman scorer in the country. He was also the first player in Patriot League history to be named both conference Player and Rookie of the Year. He helped the Mountain Hawks reach the 2010 NCAA tournament. There, he scored 26 points in a loss to the top-seeded Kansas team.
In his sophomore year (2010–11), McCollum's averages increased to 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He was named First Team All-Conference.
As a junior in 2011–12, McCollum was again named Patriot League Player of the Year. He also earned his third straight First Team All-Conference award. In 2012, the Mountain Hawks made history by beating the Duke Blue Devils 75–70 in the NCAA Division I tournament. McCollum scored a game-high 30 points in that game. This was only the sixth time a 15th-seeded team beat a second-seeded team in tournament history.
During his college years, McCollum gained 30 pounds of muscle. Even though he was expected to be a top NBA draft pick, he chose to finish his final year of college. He wrote an article for Sporting News explaining why he decided to continue his education.
On November 25, 2012, McCollum scored 26 points against Sacred Heart. This made him the Patriot League's all-time leading scorer. On January 5, 2013, he broke his left foot in a game against the VCU Rams, which ended his season early. McCollum graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Journalism.
College Awards and Honors
- 2× Patriot League Player of the Year (2010, 2012)
- 3× First Team All-Patriot League (2010–2012)
- 3× Patriot League All-Tournament team (2010–2012)
- Patriot League Tournament MVP (2012)
- Patriot League Rookie of the Year (2010)
- Patriot League's all-time leading scorer (2361 points)
Professional Basketball Career
Portland Trail Blazers (2013–2022)
Starting in the NBA (2013–2015)
CJ McCollum was the first player from Lehigh to enter the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers selected him tenth overall in the 2013 NBA draft. He signed his first contract on July 11 and played in the 2013 NBA Summer League.
McCollum missed the first six weeks of his first NBA season due to a foot injury. On January 1, 2014, he was sent to the Idaho Stampede development league team. He returned to the Blazers on January 5 and made his NBA debut three days later. He scored 4 points as Portland beat the Orlando Magic. On February 8, McCollum scored a season-high 19 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In his second season (2014–15), he played 62 games, averaging 6.8 points. During a playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies, McCollum scored a career-high 33 points.
Becoming Most Improved Player (2015–2016)
Before the 2015–16 season, many of Portland's main players left. Only star point guard Damian Lillard remained. McCollum became the starting shooting guard, playing alongside Lillard. His playing time increased a lot, and he started all 80 games he played. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
In the first game of the season, McCollum scored a career-high 37 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. When Lillard was injured in December, McCollum stepped up as the main point guard. On December 27, he scored 35 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had 9 assists against the Sacramento Kings. This was a huge game for him.
McCollum was invited to the Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend. By the end of the season, he and Lillard became the first backcourt in Blazers' history to both average 20 or more points. For his amazing improvement, McCollum won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
The Blazers won their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. However, they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the second round.
Playoff Challenges (2016–2018)
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On July 27, 2016, McCollum signed a new four-year contract with Portland. He started all 80 games he played, averaging 23 points. On October 29, he had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 3 blocks against the Denver Nuggets. On November 6, he matched his career-high with 37 points against the Memphis Grizzlies.
On January 1, 2017, McCollum scored a new career-high of 43 points against the Timberwolves. He had an impressive streak of eight straight games with 25 or more points. The Blazers finished the season with a 41–41 record and made the playoffs.
In Game 1 of the first-round series against the Warriors, McCollum scored 41 points. This was his best playoff performance and made him one of only eight Blazers to score 40 points in a playoff game.
McCollum missed the first game of the 2017–18 season due to a suspension. In his season debut, he scored 28 points against the Indiana Pacers. On November 25, he helped Portland come back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Washington Wizards. On January 31, 2018, McCollum scored a career-high 50 points in just three quarters against the Chicago Bulls. He joined a special group of Trail Blazers players who have scored 50 or more points.
In the playoffs, the Blazers lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in four games. McCollum scored 38 points in the final game of that series.
Conference Finals and Final Years in Portland (2018–2022)
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In the 2018–19 season, McCollum averaged 21 points. On November 6, 2018, he scored 40 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 26, 2019, he achieved his first career triple-double (28 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) against the Atlanta Hawks.
McCollum missed 10 games in March and April due to a left knee injury. In the playoffs, he had an amazing performance in Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 41 points in a quadruple-overtime win. In the deciding Game 7, he scored 37 points, helping the Blazers reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. They then lost to the Warriors.
On November 21, 2019, McCollum scored 37 points, along with 6 rebounds and 10 assists, against the Milwaukee Bucks. On February 23, 2020, he had 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists in a win over the Detroit Pistons.
On December 26, 2020, McCollum scored a season-high 44 points, including a game-winning three-pointer, against the Houston Rockets. On August 7, 2021, McCollum was elected president of the National Basketball Players Association.
On December 7, 2021, McCollum was diagnosed with a pneumothorax (a collapsed lung) and was out for a while. He returned on January 17, 2022, scoring 16 points against the Orlando Magic.
New Orleans Pelicans (2022–2025)
On February 8, 2022, McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He made his Pelicans debut two days later, scoring 15 points. On April 13, during the NBA play-in tournament, McCollum scored 32 points, helping the Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs and advance.
On September 24, 2022, McCollum signed a two-year contract extension with the Pelicans. On December 22, he scored 40 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and had 9 assists against the San Antonio Spurs. On December 30, McCollum scored 42 points and made 11 three-pointers against the Philadelphia 76ers. His 11 three-pointers set a new Pelicans franchise record. The Pelicans lost in the play-in game, meaning McCollum missed the playoffs for the first time in his career.
On November 2, 2023, McCollum scored 33 points against the Detroit Pistons. On January 3, 2025, he tied his career-high with 50 points in a win over the Washington Wizards. He averaged 21.1 points for the Pelicans during the 2024–25 season. On March 31, McCollum was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a bone bruise in his right foot.
Washington Wizards (2025–present)
McCollum was part of a trade between the Pelicans and the Washington Wizards. He joined the Wizards on July 6, 2025.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Portland | 38 | 0 | 12.5 | .416 | .375 | .676 | 1.3 | .7 | .4 | .1 | 5.3 |
| 2014–15 | Portland | 62 | 3 | 15.7 | .436 | .396 | .699 | 1.5 | 1.0 | .7 | .1 | 6.8 |
| 2015–16 | Portland | 80 | 80 | 34.7 | .448 | .417 | .827 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .3 | 20.8 |
| 2016–17 | Portland | 80 | 80 | 34.9 | .480 | .421 | .912* | 3.6 | 3.6 | .9 | .5 | 23.0 |
| 2017–18 | Portland | 81 | 81 | 36.1 | .443 | .397 | .836 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .4 | 21.4 |
| 2018–19 | Portland | 70 | 70 | 33.9 | .459 | .375 | .828 | 4.0 | 3.0 | .8 | .4 | 21.0 |
| 2019–20 | Portland | 70 | 70 | 36.5 | .451 | .379 | .757 | 4.2 | 4.4 | .8 | .6 | 22.2 |
| 2020–21 | Portland | 47 | 47 | 34.0 | .468 | .402 | .812 | 3.9 | 4.7 | .9 | .4 | 23.1 |
| 2021–22 | Portland | 36 | 36 | 35.2 | .436 | .384 | .706 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .6 | 20.5 |
| New Orleans | 26 | 26 | 33.8 | .493 | .394 | .667 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 1.3 | .0 | 24.3 | |
| 2022–23 | New Orleans | 75 | 75 | 35.3 | .437 | .389 | .769 | 4.4 | 5.7 | .9 | .5 | 20.9 |
| 2023–24 | New Orleans | 66 | 66 | 32.7 | .459 | .429 | .827 | 4.3 | 4.6 | .9 | .6 | 20.0 |
| 2024–25 | New Orleans | 56 | 56 | 32.7 | .444 | .373 | .717 | 3.8 | 4.1 | .8 | .4 | 21.1 |
| Career | 787 | 690 | 32.1 | .453 | .397 | .799 | 3.6 | 3.8 | .9 | .4 | 19.6 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Portland | 6 | 0 | 4.0 | .091 | .000 | 1.000 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .7 |
| 2015 | Portland | 5 | 1 | 33.2 | .478 | .478 | .769 | 4.0 | .4 | 1.2 | .2 | 17.0 |
| 2016 | Portland | 11 | 11 | 40.2 | .426 | .345 | .804 | 3.6 | 3.3 | .9 | .5 | 20.5 |
| 2017 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 35.1 | .400 | .500 | .938 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .5 | 22.5 |
| 2018 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 38.9 | .519 | .423 | .769 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 1.3 | .3 | 25.3 |
| 2019 | 16 | 16 | 39.7 | .440 | .393 | .732 | 5.0 | 3.7 | .8 | .6 | 24.7 | |
| 2020 | Portland | 5 | 5 | 39.2 | .444 | .371 | .682 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 1.2 | .4 | 23.2 |
| 2021 | Portland | 6 | 6 | 39.9 | .439 | .333 | .769 | 6.0 | 4.3 | .3 | .7 | 20.7 |
| 2022 | New Orleans | 6 | 6 | 39.0 | .392 | .333 | .692 | 6.7 | 4.8 | .7 | .8 | 22.2 |
| 2024 | New Orleans | 4 | 4 | 36.9 | .419 | .241 | 1.000 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 1.8 | .8 | 17.8 |
| Career | 67 | 57 | 35.5 | .433 | .368 | .766 | 4.4 | 3.1 | .9 | .5 | 20.1 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Lehigh | 33 | 31 | 31.9 | .459 | .421 | .810 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1.3 | .2 | 19.1 |
| 2010–11 | Lehigh | 31 | 31 | 34.6 | .399 | .315 | .845 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 | .7 | 21.8 |
| 2011–12 | Lehigh | 35 | 35 | 33.1 | .443 | .341 | .811 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 2.6 | .5 | 21.9 |
| 2012–13 | Lehigh | 12 | 11 | 31.0 | .495 | .516 | .849 | 5.0 | 2.9 | 1.4 | .3 | 23.9 |
| Career | 111 | 108 | 32.9 | .439 | .377 | .825 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 2.1 | .5 | 21.3 | |
Broadcasting Career
McCollum hosts a weekly podcast called Pull Up with CJ McCollum. It is co-hosted by ESPN analyst Jordan Schultz. McCollum has a podcast studio at home and takes portable recording equipment with him when he travels. Famous guests like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have been on his show.
In March 2020, McCollum was recording his podcast when he learned that the NBA was stopping its season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 30, 2022, McCollum signed a deal with ESPN to work as an NBA analyst.
Personal Life
McCollum married his college sweetheart, Elise Esposito, on October 27, 2020. They have a son named Jacobi, who was born on January 10, 2022. McCollum's older brother, Errick, is also a professional basketball player who has won the EuroLeague.
Off the court, McCollum is very interested in journalism. He has written articles about the NBA for different media outlets. In one article, he even interviewed the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver.
McCollum also helps his community. In 2016, he opened the CJ McCollum Dream Center. This is a special learning room at the Blazers Boys & Girls Club. It has new computers, books, art, and learning tools. The Center gives a safe place for young people to learn and grow. McCollum also helps young journalists through a program called CJ's Press Pass. It lets aspiring journalists attend post-game news conferences and get advice from media members.
McCollum is a big fan of wine. During the 2020 NBA Bubble, he brought 84 bottles of wine with him. He even has his own wine label, McCollum Heritage 91. It is named after the street he grew up on and his birth year.
See also
In Spanish: C. J. McCollum para niños
- List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA single-game 3-point field goal leaders
- List of NBA single-season 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA annual free throw percentage leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders
- Portland Trail Blazers draft history
