On Sunday, New Orleans Pelicans CJ McCollum was diagnosed with a small pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung. The diagnosis was made after a medical imaging exam.
No information has been provided regarding the cause of the injury.
The announcement comes after McCollum’s impressive performance against the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the showing, the Pelicans lost 105-123.
The small pneumothorax most likely means that the lung didn’t actually collapse. However, there is air in the chest cavity, which caused his lungs to shrink. The injury is quite common in football and hockey.
McCollum was diagnosed with a collapsed lung back in 2021 while still playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and ended up missing 18 games over six weeks due to the incident.
During his first six games with the Pelicans, McCollum led the team in minutes (34.3) and assists (5.7). He was also averaging 21.7 points per game and shooting 38% from the 3. He helped New Orleans win four of its first six games.
