CJ McCollum

McCollum has been married to his college sweetheart, Elise Esposito, since October 27, 2020. They have a son, Jacobi, who was born on January 10, 2022.

His older brother, Errick McCollum, is also a professional basketball player and a EuroLeague winner.

McCollum played for GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio. He was only 5 feet 2 inches tall as a freshman but earned a varsity role, then grew nine inches over his next two years. In his first game as a junior, he scored 54 points, setting school and Stark County records. He averaged 29.3 points per game as a senior, finished as GlenOak's leading scorer with 1,405 points, and won the Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year award for the 2008-09 season.

At Lehigh University, McCollum became the first Patriot League player to win both the conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He earned Patriot League Player of the Year honors in 2010 and 2012, was a three-time first-team all-conference selection, and graduated as the league's all-time leading scorer with 2,361 points.

Lehigh won Patriot League titles in 2009-10 and 2011-12. In the 2012 NCAA Tournament, McCollum scored 30 points as 15th-seeded Lehigh defeated second-seeded Duke 75-70 for the program's first NCAA Tournament victory. He broke the Patriot League career scoring record during his senior season before a broken left foot ended his campaign. McCollum graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected McCollum 10th overall in the 2013 NBA draft, making him Lehigh's first NBA draft pick. A foot injury delayed his rookie debut, and he also spent part of that season with the Idaho Stampede. In his first playoff series, against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2015, he scored a then career-high 33 points in Game 5.

McCollum moved into Portland's starting backcourt alongside Damian Lillard for the 2015-16 season. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, helping form the first backcourt in Trail Blazers history in which both players averaged at least 20 points. He won the NBA Most Improved Player award after the season.

He produced several notable scoring performances in Portland, including 50 points in three quarters against the Chicago Bulls in January 2018. In the 2019 playoffs, he scored 41 points in a quadruple-overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets, then added 37 points in the decisive Game 7 to send Portland to its first Western Conference Finals since 2000.

Portland traded McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2022. He recorded 32 points in the 2022 play-in tournament as New Orleans defeated the San Antonio Spurs and advanced to the playoffs. In December 2022, he scored 42 points and made a franchise-record 11 three-pointers against the Philadelphia 76ers.

McCollum tied his career high with 50 points for New Orleans in a January 2025 victory over Washington. A bone bruise in his right foot ended his 2024-25 season after 56 starts, during which he averaged 21.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

He joined the Washington Wizards in a 2025 trade and scored 46 points with 10 three-pointers in a November victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta acquired him in January 2026, and he later hit the game-winning shot in Game 3 of the Hawks' first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.

McCollum earned a journalism degree and has written for The Sporting News and The Players' Tribune. He also interviewed NBA commissioner Adam Silver and co-hosted the Pull Up with CJ McCollum podcast with ESPN analyst Jordan Schultz. Guests have included Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.

In 2022, McCollum signed a multiplatform deal with ESPN to work as an NBA analyst. He served as president of the National Basketball Players Association from 2021 to 2025.

In 2016, McCollum opened the CJ McCollum Dream Center at the Blazers Boys & Girls Club. The learning room was equipped with computers, books, art supplies, and other educational tools for underserved youth.

His CJ's Press Pass initiative gives aspiring journalists access to postgame news conferences, events, mentorship from media members, and opportunities to have their work published.