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CJ McCollum shines with 50-point night amid tragedy of New Orleans terror attack

By / / Sports

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During moments of tragedy, sports often fade into the background. The enormity of everything else becomes too difficult to ignore.

Those fears became reality early Wednesday morning when a terror attack killed 14 people and injured dozens of others in downtown New Orleans when a man plowed his pickup truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in the heart of the city’s iconic French Quarter. Despite being known as a city that puts smiles on faces and provides a home to anyone looking for a good time, the mood in New Orleans has been much more somber the past few days.

Sports, justifiably, become secondary. The Sugar Bowl, a signature event for the city, was delayed by a day because of the incident.

However, sports can serve to unite, or at least distract, during these moments, too. A game can be an outlet during moments of despair. It can uplift those who are feeling their lowest.

CJ McCollum provided that glimmer of light to a city working to look past the darkness of Wednesday’s attack when he tied his career high with 50 points, helping the Pelicans snap their 11-game losing streak in a 132-120 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center. It was a historic performance heightened by its context.

“Hopefully, it’s given people some hope, some joy,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Maybe getting away from the difficulties we’ve all been facing the past day or so.”

Considering the emotion that engulfs a city after a senseless act of violence like this affects so many people, everyone within the Pelicans organization understood how much it would mean for them to put on a show in front of the home fans. The desire for any sense of hope was evident during the moment of silence that was held in the building minutes before the opening tip.

Fans in New Orleans are all too familiar with turning to their sports teams as an escape when the difficulties of life become overwhelming. The New Orleans Saints have often been a respite for locals dealing with the destruction of various hurricanes that have ravaged the Gulf Coast in recent decades. Steve Gleason has a bronze statue outside of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that serves as a reminder of what his blocked punt meant to the people of New Orleans as they worked to rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina.

Those tough times build resilience, a quality in which the people of New Orleans take the most pride.

“It’s something we feel. We feel like we’re letting the fans down (with the team’s 6-29 start). We want to win games. We want them to be proud of the team they support,” McCollum said. “It’s nice for them to have something to enjoy a little bit, to kind of escape everything that’s going on right now.”

The emotions heading into Friday’s game were only intensified because Wednesday’s attack directly affected several people within the organization. The team released a statement on Thursday confirming that Matthew Tenedorio, a member of the arena’s ASM Global video production team, was one of the people killed in the attack.

Pelicans forward Trey Murphy also spoke after Friday’s game about trying to contact his mother and his chef after news of the attack spread because he knew both of them were among the people downtown celebrating the new year. The relief he felt once he heard from both of them quickly faded once he realized he was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to feel the pain of losing a loved one.

“You’re worried for your people who were out there. Then, there were a lot of people who didn’t get that call from the people who were deceased,” Murphy said. “My heart goes out to those families. I’m praying for them. It’s just senseless.”

Pelicans star Zion Williamson also made an effort to help those in need after he informed ESPN on Friday that will be donating $100,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Tragedy Fund.

“I think it’s huge. Given the circumstances that we’ve all witnessed and that those families are going through, that this city is going through, it’s huge for (Williamson) to take his resources and try to help people out,” Green said. “As best we can, we want to rally around the families, but also the city of New Orleans.”

McCollum’s performance in Friday’s win showed a level of resilience that has been lacking for much of this dismal Pelicans season. Even Friday, the Pelicans failed to put distance between themselves and the Wizards, who have won once on the road all season.

However, McCollum refused to let up during the moments that mattered most. He scored 31 of his 50 points in the second half and knocked down 10 of 16 3-point attempts and had an 11th 3 — which would’ve tied his franchise record — changed to a 2 with fewer than three minutes remaining.

McCollum’s play and his team’s start to the season have been frequently ridiculed, but nights like this are what build the bond between a player and a city. In many ways, it was fitting for McCollum to be the person who provided this moment for the city, considering how much he’s embraced the Pelicans organization and New Orleans as a whole since he joined the team in 2022.

McCollum takes pride in his professionalism, focus and unwavering confidence. It is fueled by the work he puts in on and off the court. His relationships with people in and around the organization are important to him. He wasn’t brought to New Orleans only because of his talent. The team wanted him to be a catalyst of change.

In some ways, he hasn’t accomplished everything he hoped to when he joined the Pelicans. But for some within the locker room, his impact will be felt long after his playing days are over because of the example he sets daily.

As McCollum left the floor for the final time Friday night with thunderous cheers from the crowd and chants of, “CJ! CJ! CJ!,” it was a reminder that his 50-point performance will be one that sticks with many in the city for a long, long time.

“I had some conversations with (Pelicans assistant Casey Hill) just trying to figure out how I want to be remembered,” McCollum said. “I want to maximize my career and get the most out of it, even on the back end. I’ve got a lot of basketball left. I take care of my body. I work hard. I want to make sure I give the game all I’ve got before I’m done. … When I leave this locker room and when I leave this game forever, people will remember how I approached the game and they’ll say I did it the right way.”

And they will remember Friday night.

(Top photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today)



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