CJ McCollum

Lore & Background

McCollum played high school basketball for the Golden Eagles at GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio. As a freshman in 2005, he was undersized but played varsity. He had a late growth spurt, gaining five inches by his second year and another four inches by his third year. 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, became the leading scorer in Golden Eagles history with 1,405 career points, and was named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year for the 2008–09 season. At Lehigh University, he played four seasons, averaging 19.1 points and 5 rebounds as a freshman, and was the first player in Patriot League history to be named conference Player and Rookie of the Year. He led Lehigh to the 2010 NCAA tournament and in 2012 scored 30 points in a 75–70 upset of Duke, the sixth time a 15th seed beat a 2nd seed. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Reader's Guide

McCollum was drafted 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2013. He missed the first six weeks of his rookie season with a foot injury, made his NBA debut on January 8, 2014, and posted a season-high 19 points on February 8, 2014. In his sophomore season, he averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1 assist in 62 games. In the 2015–16 season, he was elevated to starting shooting guard, averaged 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, and won NBA Most Improved Player. He signed a four-year, $106 million contract extension with Portland on July 27, 2016. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022, to the Washington Wizards in 2025, and to the Atlanta Hawks in 2026.

Did You Know?

• McCollum was voted the 2013–14 Rookie of the Year (together with Victor Oladipo) in an NBA.com survey of the 2013 rookie class.
• He scored a career-high 37 points in the 2015–16 season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.