November 7, 2023
CJ McCollum Has Collapsed Lung, No Timetable For Return
In 2021, while McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, he suffered his first collapsed lung and was out of the lineup for 18 games.
New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has been diagnosed with his second collapsed lung in the last two years, according to CBS Sports. On Nov. 5, McCollum had an MRI done to assess any damage and is scheduled to receive additional exams over the next two days to determine how his lung is healing.
The Pelicans released a statement on Nov. 5: “The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that guard CJ McCollum has been diagnosed with small pneumothorax in his right lung after medical imaging was taken this morning. Additional examination will be performed in the next 48 hours to determine the progress of healing. More information will be provided following examination.”
It is currently unknown how much time McCollum will miss, but as he is the team’s second-leading scorer, he will be missed. Shams Charania, an NBA insider, posted on Twitter/X on Nov. 5: “Pelicans say CJ McCollum has been diagnosed with a small collapsed right lung. He will undergo additional examination in the next 48 hours to determine the progress of healing.”
McCollum noticed an account tweeting out an “insane” picture as it reported the news, an indication that he is capable of laughing at the situation.
Jordan Hawkins, the Pelicans’ recent draft pick and cousin of LSU women’s hoops sensation Angel Reese, may be in line to see a bump in minutes and thus a bump in production as the Pelicans will no doubt look to replace McCollum as best they can. Hawkins is coming off a career-high 15 points, and the Pelicans coaching staff seems to trust him on the floor, which is a good sign for a rookie in the NBA.
In 2021, while McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, he suffered his first collapsed lung and was out of the lineup for 18 games. McCollum eventually returned from his injury around three weeks before he was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans.
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