Initially, Portland Trail Blazer guard CJ McCollum voted not to play while the NBA pushed for a season restart in Orlando, Florida. McCollum had concerns about how players would be safe from the coronavirus pandemic.
“At the time, based on what was given to me, I was not comfortable playing,” McCollum said on Monday during a conference call with reporters.
The Blazers held a team vote and although the majority voted to play, there were concerns.
At the time, McCollum said there was so much uncertainty that he felt there was no point in playing. He knew that the virus did not tend to seriously affect young people, but could still leave permanent effects. He didn’t want to take this risk.
Now, with more information from medical professionals and the NBA’s plans, McCollum feels more comfortable, at least relatively speaking. McCollum’s position as vice president of the National Basketball Players Association allowed him to access information that other players would not have otherwise received.
He told his teammates that he supported them if they chose to play or not. He made sure that his teammates knew the implications of their choice, making sure that they would make an informed decision and the best decision for each individual.
Slowly, McCollum started getting answers in terms of tests: what types of tests would be performed, who will be tested and how long it would take to get results – and what life would be like in the bubble in terms of food, how long players had to be in their hotel rooms and when they could see their families again.
“A lot of things weighed on my decision where it is, ‘You really want to leave your family right now,” said McCollum. “If I’m going to go, then we have a plan in place where we can still make an impact and make a difference in our society, especially the communities we come from and try to better help the next generation of young black boys and children from color “.
McCollum has no older children or relatives who live with him. But he knows that’s not true of all his teammates or other NBA players. The decision to play involves so many different factors, McCollum said, which is never an equal choice for every player.
As he learned more about the NBA’s reboot plan and security protocols, McCollum said he started feeling better about the game and his opinion started to change. He asked his family if they wanted him to play. If they said no, he wouldn’t have chosen to go.
“From an understanding of what I can accomplish as I play in front of all those fans, especially to help move,” said McCollum. “I feel like it’s in my best interest to play personally.”
McCollum said he hasn’t packed up to leave for Orlando yet. He is taking his dog, Fiona, for long walks and trying to take advantage of every moment while he is still at home. He does not know exactly when he will return.
He is still trying to train like life is normal. Now that the Portland facility has been reopened, he has been able to step up his routine and get more work on soft tissue than he has been able to previously.
McCollum said that players will be able to use boats in Disney World and that he may start taking golf lessons. There will also be films, but McCollum thinks he will spend a lot of time in his room. He will bring his Xbox, laptop and books. He will take morning walks when he arrives at Disney World, trying to replicate what he would have with his dog.
The number of days McCollum will be away depends on whether the Blazers can sneak into the playoffs and, if so, how long their playoffs last. McCollum believes that of the remaining eight games, Portland will have to win six to enter the post-season. The Blazers climb the eighth place in Memphis for the first time on July 31st.
During the teleconferences that Blazer players held in the last week before traveling to Orlando, the prevailing opinion was that, with a healthy list, the team is good enough to push from the ninth seed to the post-season.
McCollum’s tone seemed a little different. Although he felt that Portland could come in eighth place, he seemed more focused on the wider image. It took a lot of time and information to get McCollum to play, and it wasn’t an easy decision yet. Much more than entering the playoffs, he is worried about his health and that of his teammates.
“I don’t know how much interactive fun I will have from a security perspective,” said McCollum. “I think it’s best to stick to yourself if I’m honest. Stay in my room, FaceTime, talk to my family, read some books, play some video games, drink some McCollum Heritage 91 and keep moving. I’m not really going to mix too much, especially to get started, because a false negative could be the end. “
– Matt Cohen; [email protected]
