Portland Trailblazer’s CJ McCollum CREDIT: http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/12/28/10676658/cj-mccollum-improved-nba-scorer-turn-heads
Lehigh’s CJ McCollum‘s dreams were answered when the Portland Trailblazers selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. After 2 years of playing behind talent players, McCollum was elevated to starting shooting guard and is having an incredible season for a Portland Trailblazer team that is suppose to be in an rebuild year but are a playoff-bound team. With all of his current success in the NBA, McCollum is already starting to carve out is role for life after basketball.
Unlike many NBA prospects, McCollum graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in journalism. When his career ends, McCollum wants to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. Even with his playing career still progressing, McCollum is already carving out a career in broadcast journalism.
McCollum’s program CJ’s Press Pass CREDIT: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/cj-mccollum-portland-trailblazers-why-journalism-matters/
On Derek Jeter’s The Player’s Tribune, McCollum reflects on “Why Journalism Matters.” In his piece, McCollum is able to share the unbelievable experience of rehearsing calling a game with NBA broadcaster Tim Capstraw and his educational program, CJ’s Press Pass. CJ’s Press Pass provides high school students in the Portland area the opportunity to get journalism experience to see if that’s what they want to pursue as a career. Through this program McCollum was able to provide Portland’s Madison High students a once and a lifetime opportunity to cover a Portland Trailblazer home game against Minnesota Timberwolves. McCollum is providing potential journalist the opportunity that could be the thing that changes their life.
CJ McCollum has further his journalism career in congruent with his growing NBA career. Through Sirius radio and the Trailblazer team website, McCollum runs a weekly radio show. Also, McCollum was able to interview incoming NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
McCollum interviewing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver CREDIT: http://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2013/07/11/trail-blazers-guard-c-j-mccollum-interviews-incoming-nba-commissioner-adam-silver/#486911712a30
CJ McCollum has set himself up to not only have a impactful NBA career, but a career in journalism after basketball.
Even now, when I’m watching an NBA game at my house or at a hotel, I’ll often mute the sound and call the game in my head. I try to think of how to translate what I’m seeing into an interesting piece of insight that the average fan would be able to digest.
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