When CJ McCollum entered the NBA, he was nothing more than a lightly-used role player with the Portland Trail Blazers. It wasn’t until the combo guard’s third year in 2015-16 when he transformed from a reserve to a borderline All-Star. From then on, McCollum has been a consistent 20-plus point per game scorer. Now with 12 professional seasons under his belt, the 33-year-old has been doing this for nearly a decade. But McCollum learned early in his career what differentiates a good NBA player from a great one.
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McCollum was asked about the same while talking with Forbes’ Jabari Young. The Ohio native stressed that there are many good players in the league, but great players have a different level of consistency in their lives, both on and off the court. He added that great players are also elite in at least one aspect of the game.
McCollum pointed out that great players have to sacrifice more than the good ones. Whether it’s taking extra precautions with their body or spending time away from family, the great ones always do more behind the scenes. The Pelicans’ sharpshooter mentioned LeBron James, whose longevity is unmatched in all of NBA history, as a prominent example of a great player who has sacrificed to be legendary.
“Look at LeBron, he’s talked about it. What time does he get to the arena? What does he do when no one is watching?” McCollum said. “Mario Chalmers told us a story about LeBron icing [his knees] in the club. I’ve seen Bron ice in the club … I’ve seen it. There’s a different level of dedication that it takes to be successful.”
NBA legends are far from the only athletes who have given up other aspects of their lives for the sake of their careers. McCollum alluded to several more sports icons, basketball and otherwise, who have made a name for themselves because of the sacrifices they made.
“And the great ones will do whatever it takes. You talk about Tiger [Woods], Peyton Manning, you look at Drew Brees … Serena, Venus, they sacrifice. Mike [Jordan], they sacrifice a lot to be great,” McCollum continued. “It takes time away from your family. It takes discipline, waking up early, missing stuff from your kids. It takes a lot to be great.”
McCollum added that to be great, athletes also must possess the right skill set and mentality. Combining elite skills with an insatiable work ethic is the difference between a forgettable player and an all-time talent, though. The former Most Improved Player pointed to Kobe Bryant as an athlete who blended those traits to perfection.
“There’s a lot of good players in all sports, but the great ones, it’s just something different that you see,” McCollum prefaced his praise. “Like Kobe, may he rest in peace, he had an aura and like a psycho mentality of just like obsessive behavior when it came to preparation … He was just infatuated with being great and do whatever it takes.”
McCollum believes there’s simply something different in the way the bodies of great players are wired. He also made it clear that this path isn’t for everyone. Few are, or have been, willing to match Bryant’s unmatched work ethic. But the ones who have fully dedicated themselves to their craft will be remembered much more fondly than the ones who squandered their potential.
