CJ McCollum “distraught” upon learning foot was broken
CJ McCollum isn’t sure when he will be back on the court after finding out that x-rays revealed he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, the same bone he broke in January back at Lehigh.
McCollum said he cried because the pain was so bad when he broke his foot in college and that when he broke it this time, the feeling was different.
“I thought it was just a little sprain. I crawled off, but I walked,” McCollum said recalling what happened after his foot turned inside on a defensive pick and roll drill. “It’s actually funny, I actually walked. I walked to the shower, took a shower. Walked to get the x-ray, got the x-ray then I just waited for the news.”
McCollum said he was by himself when he heard the diagnosis.
“Tough feeling. I was just, pretty distraught.”
McCollum had a screw inserted in the bone in his foot after breaking it the first time and he said that the “screw is perfectly fine.” He added he doesn’t think it will complicate things. He is seeking second opinions of doctors in California and in Charlotte before determining what course of action he will take regarding surgery.
McCollum hasn’t seen footage of but intends to, and along with the opinions of the other doctors, that will determine whether the two injuries are related. McCollum also seemed surprised as he has scored very well in daily tests that test the weight distribution on both feet conducted by the training staff, saying that he was “one of the more even guys on the team.”
McCollum doesn’t know how long he will be out. More importantly, he knows just how difficult it will be to come back.
“You have no idea. It’s a tough process. Basketball is a lot easier than rehab. But the best thing about it is that I’ve been through it before. I know what I’m getting into now. I kind of know what to do, what to expect. I just look forward to the challenge. It’s a challenge getting to the NBA and there’s going to be injures. There is going to be stuff you can’t…you can’t help it sometimes. It’s going to happen.”
Erik Gundersen
Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.