Canton native, NBA guard CJ McCollum gains perspective from collapsed lung and fatherhood

CLEVELAND — Canton native CJ McCollum found a silver lining while recovering from a concerning injury last month.

Although McCollum missed 12 New Orleans Pelicans games as a result of suffering a partially collapsed lung, the GlenOak High School graduate is grateful the setback allowed him to bond with his 5-week-old daughter, Margaux.

“It was serious,” McCollum told the Beacon Journal on Thursday. “But things happen for a reason, and I'm thankful for the pulmonologist and our team doctors and our staff helping me get through it and putting me in a position to succeed.

“The blessing is that I got to be with my family for the birth of my daughter. I spent some time at home. So you have to look at the bright side of these things and understand that I'm able to play again and I'm healthy. It wasn't the worst thing in the world.”

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McCollum and his wife, Elise, also have a 23-month-old son, Jacobi.

“Being a father is the best job in the world, the most rewarding job,” McCollum said.

If anyone knows what juggling jobs entails, it's McCollum.

A starting guard in his 11th NBA season, McCollum scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field Thursday night in the Pelicans' 123-104 win over the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. McCollum added six rebounds, four assists and four steals in 34 minutes. He estimated more than 60 friends and relatives were in attendance.

Off the court, McCollum is not only a dad, but the president of the National Basketball Players Association, an all-encompassing role he has held with the union since August 2021. McCollum previously served as a player rep and vice president on the NBPA executive committee.

McCollum explained being the union's president “absolutely could be a full-time job by itself.” He has a weekly phone call with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He regularly meets with referees. He's involved with all significant player issues throughout the league.

“It's a lot — a lot of time commitment,” McCollum said. “The most rewarding part is being able to serve the players, being able to be selfless and put people before yourself and try to figure out ways to grow the game and make the game better.”

McCollum has a group text message he uses to communicate with other members of the NBPA executive committee, including Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs All-Star guard became a VP last February.

“He's a great basketball player, a guy who impacts his community,” McCollum said. “He's smart. He's knowledgeable. He's learning more about the league, more about the importance of some of the little things that he's going to be a part of for the long haul as a guy in his 20s.

“Being able to establish himself as not only an All Star, an All-NBA talent, but a guy who's involved in helping grow the game I think is going to be very important and helpful for him and the generation that'll come after him.”

McCollum, 32, returned to game action Nov. 29 after enduring what the Pelicans announced was a “small pneumothorax” in his right lung. He has played in 10 of the Pelicans' last 11 games. This season, he's averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 assists, 41. rebounds and 1.6 steals.

“CJ's resilient,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “He's had a number of different roles throughout his career, and he understands how to navigate injuries and what it takes to continue to be a pro. It's a part of the game. Sometimes you go through some of those tough moments in life, but it's made him who he is.”

Green is just as impressed with how McCollum manages his many responsibilities.

“CJ is one of the best at doing it all,” Green said. “I'm actually taking notes myself on how good he is. But it's important to him to have a balanced life, and I think it allows him to be an even better basketball player because he has all of those things in order.”

McCollum has a different perspective, too, on the heels of experiencing a collapsed lung for the second time. It also happened in December 2021, when he played for the Portland Trail Blazers. He revealed last month an oxygen tank aided his most recent comeback.

“Whenever you are taking take a break from the game or something occurs and you're not able to do it,” McCollum said, “you gain a greater appreciation for it.

“Not that I ever took it for granted, but I'm just thankful to have a unique perspective having gone through different types of injuries.”

McCollum also considers it a blessing to gain perspective as a father of two.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Pelicans' CJ McCollum, a Canton native, sees silver lining from injury