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C.

J.

McCollum.

Not only one of the best guards in the n.

B.

A.

He's also one of the most vocal advocates for the advancement of social justice in the league Now.

Recently, CJ has focused his efforts to help end voter suppression.

CJ, welcome back to the jump.

I want to hear a little bit more about that before we get started with basketball stuff.

What have you been working on lately?

We're in a lot of different things.

I think.

Obviously, education has always been a main focal point on things that I've wanted to accomplish in terms of educating the youth and kind of uplifting those who don't necessarily have a voice and being able to join the social change.

But we've been working on a lot of different things in terms of, um supporting our neighborhoods and figuring out ways to not only educate them about things like vaccinations, like the importance of voting, like some of the things that are happening to our brothers and sisters out here in terms of unfair trials.

Unfair, um, stops and and things of that nature with with with police and law enforcement, but also trying to kind of bridge that gap and bring people together so that we better understand how to coexist with with people of authority, those air a lot of things have been working on while also trying to provide resource is to our schools and into our communities.

I mean, we just had an election where the national discussion got so much attention.

But it really is on the local level where most people's lives are affected, right?

What they know, how they're able to interact with their local government officials with the police.

It's just so important.

And the more more knowledge you have, the more power, right?

Absolutely.

And I think that's that's what we're trying to get across to our kids and our brothers and sisters in our communities is that we have to educate each other on what's what's available to us from a use of standpoint, but also how to maneuver and and how toe kinda behave in a way in which you know that kind of puts us in a position to be successful down the road and look I do want to talk about your time on the court.

It's a little hard for me, CJ, because you're out injured.

And I think a lot of people around the MBA a very sad you had such a hot start to the season.

I don't know if you're aware when you got knocked out, you were second in the N B A in real plus minus.

LeBron was the only one ahead of you.

It was just such a sort of cruel moment for Blazers fans to have that be.

When you got hurt, you're rehabbing now.

Fractured left foot.

When can we expect to see you back on the floor?

And I will say when I said earlier today that you were gonna be on the show, I had a bunch of Blazers fans tweeting me saying, Can you be back by Friday?

Because we're putting the Lakers?

Yeah, I'm feeling much better.

I'm progressing.

I'll be at six weeks on Saturday.

Continue to try to load the foot in strengthening.

I think that's what it's been.

Our main focus trap are squats, lunges, stability stuff, getting mawr, contact in on the foot and seeing how it responds but I will not be back on Friday.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances, I won't be able to return that soon.

But I'm looking forward to see how I feel like six weeks and then kind of progressing from there and wanted wannabe Be cautious with my approach with this injury.

With this being my third foot fracture and with the young guys playing so well, this gives them opportunity to kind of continue to grow.

And then they're taking taking advantage of their opportunities in their time.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, there's not a ton of pressure on you to brush back.

It's more pressure building that.

You'd be great by the playoffs because this team is looking dangerous again.

And you have been part of that, at least at the start.

You were taking nearly four more three pointers per game this season.

Then you did last season.

What went into that search?

I think it was a combination of how I trained in the summertime, being ableto get extra condition again, being ableto figure out.

You know how Toby Mawr efficient and games.

I take a lot of mid range shots.

Um, I'm a pretty good mid range shooter.

I could get the spots on the floor.

But also figuring out what was gonna be best for our team.

Long term, what was gonna be best for me long term.

And how do I open up the defense and I credit?

You know, our staff credit, John, um, my credit tied credit, my PT Just being ableto to train in a way in which it translates to games was important for us.

And shooting more threes was something that John John wanted me to do.

Something that Coach Terry organization wanted me to do.

And I had to train for first before I could translate.

I mean, look, between you and Dame, we're not even gonna be able to call them logo shots anymore.

You guys were gonna move to behind the midline of the court.

You guys are gonna start shooting from the three quarter mark.

I just It's getting dangerous up there in Portland.

And it's not just you guys, right.

Fifth place in the west for this team.

Nurse out, You're out.

Dames doing great.

But as you mentioned, it is a deep group behind him that is contributing.

How confident are you that this year's team will be able to outperform last year's team.

I'm very confident.

I think it just comes down.

Thio help in the playoffs.

Being hurt during the regular season allows players to grow.

It allows them to develop, get meaningful minutes and get comfortable.

And as we come back and kind of get together as a as a full roster, I think it's only a matter of time before we begin to mesh, going to run in transition into the playoffs.

But I definitely think will fare better due to experience due to our bench having more debt and also due to us having some time to recover rehab during the regular seasons where we should be fresh for the playoffs now.

I don't know exactly what you got into yesterday.

Rehab.

I'm sure spending some time with your lovely new wife, but apparently you made someone $18,000.

Also yesterday, CJ, did you know that a dunk of yours from 2019 sold on MBA Top shot last night for 18 grand?

And I don't wanna I don't wanna cast any aspersions here.

I don't think that's the best dunk I've ever seen.

You make 18 grand.

Yeah, that dunk isn't isn't my best work, that's for sure.

And I think I think that's cool.

People are able to kind of capture those moments.

Uh, kudos to whoever got 18 grand for that.

That za nice Come up.

I'm happy for you.

I'll have to get some more dunks at some point so that the highlights look a little bit better for, ah, top shot.

I saw you on Twitter asking about MBA Top shot recently.

How much is this sort of gotten into players consciousness that this is going on because the collectibles market, you know, it ebbs and flows.

But this has become really hot.

Yeah, a lot of players air enquiring about it, trying to learn and educate themselves about it.

I think I've I've grown closer to the fungible tokens and what they just of and trying to figure out what moments I should by looking at rookie looking at Lemelle.

Oh, balls.

First assist.

Looking at science first dunk.

Like trying, trying to pick certain things that that makes sense for me.

But I'm trying to also get some free packs.

So if Mbah top shot is listening, you know I'd love to have some of my own moments.

And I would also love to be able to create some moments with you guys.

So where my dunks are a little bit better there.

We dio that man wants, um, non fungible tokens.

Get him some.

There you go.

See, Jay, thank you so much for stopping by.

The league misses you.

Best of luck with your recovery, but thank you so much for everything you're doing off the court.

It matters to all of us.

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