Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
CJ McCollum
- Induction:
- 2023
- Class:
- 2013
The most accomplished student-athlete to pass through Lehigh's men's basketball program, CJ McCollum graduated as the Patriot League's all-time leading scorer and ranks second on Lehigh's career scoring list. A two-time Patriot League Player of the Year and three-time first-team all-league honoree, McCollum led the Mountain Hawks to Patriot League titles in 2009-10 and 2011-12, and scored a game-high 30 points as No. 15 seed Lehigh beat Duke 75-70 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
“Being inducted to the Hall of Fame is a huge honor for which I’m extremely grateful, thankful and proud to receive,” McCollum said. “Lehigh always has and always will have a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled to be honored this way alongside my family and fellow alumni.”
McCollum made an immediate impact at Lehigh as he averaged 19.1 points per game in his first year, tops in the nation among freshmen. He became the first player to win the Patriot League’s Player and Rookie of the Year award in the same season. Lehigh won a Patriot League championship and McCollum led the Mountain Hawks against No. 1 seed Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. McCollum led the Patriot League and ranked ninth nationally in scoring as a sophomore and improved to fifth in the NCAA in scoring as a junior.
In Lehigh’s memorable 2011-12 campaign, McCollum averaged 21.9 points and won his second Patriot League Player of the year Award, while earning his second AP All-America honorable mention nod. He became just the second Lehigh player to surpass the 2,000 point mark, doing so in the Patriot League semifinals against American. McCollum led Lehigh with 29 points in an 82-77 win at Bucknell in the Patriot League championship game. Eight days later, he was by all accounts, the best player on the floor as the 15th seeded Mountain Hawks knocked off Duke for the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
McCollum’s senior season was cut short by injury, but he managed to break the Patriot League’s career scoring record in a November game at Sacred Heart.
Off the court, McCollum was an editor for The Brown and White, interned in Lehigh’s office of Sports Communications and Multimedia. In 2012, McCollum was honored with Lehigh’s Class of 1904 Award, which is given based on character, scholarship, and promise of future leadership.
In June 2013, McCollum became Lehigh's first-ever NBA draft pick after being selected 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum is entering his 11th professional season. He played nine seasons with Portland, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award following the 2015-16 season and helping lead the Trail Blazers to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals in 2018-19. McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2022 and averaged 20.9 points this past season in his first full year with the Pelicans. He has now averaged more than 20 points per game over each of the last eight seasons.
McCollum earned his degree in journalism in 2013 and has been putting that degree to work along with his NBA career. He co-hosted the popular Pull-Up Podcast with Jordan Schultz as well as the CJ McCollum Show Podcast, interviews NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on an annual basis, and has written stories for The Sporting News and The Players’ Tribune. McCollum has also served as a NBA analyst for ESPN. Prior to the 2021-22 season, McCollum was voted President of the National Basketball Players Association.
“Lehigh changed my life for the better from my experiences in the classroom to the success I was able to have on the court,” McCollum said. “The opportunities Lehigh has provided me with and the way this school has equipped me for the real world is something I’m genuinely grateful for. I met my wife here and I am eternally grateful for the ways in which Lehigh has impacted our lives forever.”
A Canton, Ohio native, McCollum resides in Louisiana with his wife Dr. Elise McCollum ’13, G’14, son Jacobi, and their beloved dog Fiona. The couple is expecting a daughter in November.
“Being inducted to the Hall of Fame is a huge honor for which I’m extremely grateful, thankful and proud to receive,” McCollum said. “Lehigh always has and always will have a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled to be honored this way alongside my family and fellow alumni.”
McCollum made an immediate impact at Lehigh as he averaged 19.1 points per game in his first year, tops in the nation among freshmen. He became the first player to win the Patriot League’s Player and Rookie of the Year award in the same season. Lehigh won a Patriot League championship and McCollum led the Mountain Hawks against No. 1 seed Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. McCollum led the Patriot League and ranked ninth nationally in scoring as a sophomore and improved to fifth in the NCAA in scoring as a junior.
In Lehigh’s memorable 2011-12 campaign, McCollum averaged 21.9 points and won his second Patriot League Player of the year Award, while earning his second AP All-America honorable mention nod. He became just the second Lehigh player to surpass the 2,000 point mark, doing so in the Patriot League semifinals against American. McCollum led Lehigh with 29 points in an 82-77 win at Bucknell in the Patriot League championship game. Eight days later, he was by all accounts, the best player on the floor as the 15th seeded Mountain Hawks knocked off Duke for the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
McCollum’s senior season was cut short by injury, but he managed to break the Patriot League’s career scoring record in a November game at Sacred Heart.
Off the court, McCollum was an editor for The Brown and White, interned in Lehigh’s office of Sports Communications and Multimedia. In 2012, McCollum was honored with Lehigh’s Class of 1904 Award, which is given based on character, scholarship, and promise of future leadership.
In June 2013, McCollum became Lehigh's first-ever NBA draft pick after being selected 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum is entering his 11th professional season. He played nine seasons with Portland, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award following the 2015-16 season and helping lead the Trail Blazers to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals in 2018-19. McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2022 and averaged 20.9 points this past season in his first full year with the Pelicans. He has now averaged more than 20 points per game over each of the last eight seasons.
McCollum earned his degree in journalism in 2013 and has been putting that degree to work along with his NBA career. He co-hosted the popular Pull-Up Podcast with Jordan Schultz as well as the CJ McCollum Show Podcast, interviews NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on an annual basis, and has written stories for The Sporting News and The Players’ Tribune. McCollum has also served as a NBA analyst for ESPN. Prior to the 2021-22 season, McCollum was voted President of the National Basketball Players Association.
“Lehigh changed my life for the better from my experiences in the classroom to the success I was able to have on the court,” McCollum said. “The opportunities Lehigh has provided me with and the way this school has equipped me for the real world is something I’m genuinely grateful for. I met my wife here and I am eternally grateful for the ways in which Lehigh has impacted our lives forever.”
A Canton, Ohio native, McCollum resides in Louisiana with his wife Dr. Elise McCollum ’13, G’14, son Jacobi, and their beloved dog Fiona. The couple is expecting a daughter in November.
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