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McCollum is married to Elise Esposito. CJ McCollum is an American professional basketball player known for his scoring and crafty playmaking. Born on September 19, 1991, in Canton, Ohio, McCollum played college basketball at Lehigh University, where he gained national attention for his standout performances. After a successful college career, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
McCollum became one of the most important players on the Blazers and one of the league’s best backcourts alongside Damian Lillard. He has been characterized by his smooth shooting, quickness, and high basketball IQ. McCollum has averaged over 20 points per game for multiple seasons now and is regarded as a reliable scorer in the league. But he also is able to hold his own on the defensive side of the court. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021, where he still continues his contributing role in their success.
Elise Esposito is a French visual artist, currently based in Malmö, Sweden.
As CJ McCollum was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the New Orleans Pelicans, NOLA also gained a new WAG. Dr. Elise Esposito was with McCollum long before he was an NBA pro. They maintained a long-distance relationship alongside their careers and have now welcomed a new addition to their family. Pelicans fans are eager to know more about who CJ McCollum’s wife is. So we reveal her background in this Elise Esposito wiki.
Elise Esposito’s Family
Elise Esposito was born on July 5, 1991, and hails from Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Kathleen and Michael Esposito.
Her father, Dr. Michael Esposito, is a dentist based in Stroudsburg. He is also Elise’s inspiration, as she has helped him out in his practice from a very young age.
Elise Esposito’s Career
After graduating from Bethlehem Catholic High School, Elise Esposito attended Lehigh University. She earned her BA in behavioral neuroscience in 2013 and M.Eng. in healthcare systems engineering in 2014.
While at Lehigh, she was part of the research scholar program at the Lehigh Valley Health Network. She was also a research student from 2013 to 2016.
From 2005 to 2016, Elise was a dental assistant at her father’s practice. She then pursued her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
Elise Esposito and CJ McCollum’s Relationship and Kids
Christian James “CJ” McCollum was born in Ohio and played college basketball at Lehigh University, where the journey not only shaped his athletic career but also his personal life. It was at Lehigh when CJ met his fellow student Elise Esposito, and his gym buddy. The two clicked well, both on and off the court. Elise soon became a staple in the training regime of CJ, as she often helped him work his way to perfect his skills, especially with rebounding.
They would go for hours, working on refining the techniques of CJ and challenging each other even more. Their bond went way beyond the court as Elise became an integral part of CJ’s development into a player. It was through hard work and determination, with shared experiences during those long practice sessions, that CJ would be the successful NBA player he is today, and the pair’s relationship continued to go from strength to strength.
They’ve supported each other through their respective careers. While the Portland Trail Blazers selected McCollum in the 2013 NBA draft, Esposito pursued her DDS. They maintained a long-distance relationship for most of CJ’s early career.
They announced their engagement in September 2018. They set the wedding date for September 5, 2020, in New York, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the original plans.
Keeping in mind the NBA season and the safety of their guests, Elise and CJ decided to have a toned down wedding in Oregon’s wine country. They tied the knot on October 28, 2020, with 20 guests in attendance. They also took several measures to ensure the guests didn’t contract the virus.
A year later, the McCollums announced they were expecting their first child together. Their son, Jacobi James McCollum, was born on January 10, 2022.
