Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum spent 9 years on the same team, a large part of it being an elite backcourt duo that threatened to bring the Portland Trail Blazers a championship. Things never quite worked out for them though, with injuries and some poor playoff form meaning they never got past the Western Conference Finals.
After sufficient time had passed and with Lillard’s prime fast coming to an end, the Blazers made a drastic change this season by trading McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans and giving up the season in the hope of rebuilding quickly and providing Lillard the support he needs to contend for a championship before he retires.
While it makes sense as a business decision, the backcourt duo probably did need to be split up, it’s still difficult for McCollum who had only ever played for the Trail Blazers in his career. And Lillard, who has a relationship with CJ off the court, has been equally sad about losing his partner. He spoke about watching McCollum play for the Pelicans to ESPN, admitting to feeling a little jealous.
“It’s weird, man,” Lillard said. “It’s weird to see him enjoying playing with somebody else. It’s almost like a little bit of jealousy, like…man he’s having fun playing with them. I always said me and C.J. are really [partners]. That’s really my friend. I’ve always known what he is capable of.”
CJ has thrived since the move to the Pelicans, who have managed to get a play-in spot in the Western Conference even without having Zion Williamson back. McCollum has averaged over 24 points a game for his new team, more than he did during any season of his Trail Blazers career. While the two will always remain friends, it will be intriguing to see what happens when McCollum properly has to play against Lillard next season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYmSd9Qoepk
