CJ McCollum, 31 years old and a decade into his NBA career, is trying his best to be the calm amid the chaos. To be the voice of wisdom. To teach the fundamentals. But, well, kids can be stubborn. At the moment, McCollum can’t even get through this phone conversation without a little wailing.
“Take your milk,” McCollum says softly, his voice rising a half-octave. “Drink your milk.”
Jacobi James McCollum (age 1) at last accepts the coaching, freeing Dad to resume his reflections on leadership, team building, winemaking, union leading and fatherhood—and the immense challenge of doing it all simultaneously while also navigating a new team, a new city and new expectations after his trade from Portland to New Orleans last February. All of which followed a serious health scare—a collapsed lung in December 2021.
