New Orleans Pelicans guard, CJ McCollum has now been in the NBA for over a decade! Through his journey, the veteran has earned the respect of his teammates, the press, and fans alike; a large of amount credit for which goes to his likable and charming personality plus, his skills on the court. A testament to this is- he was the first player out of Lehigh University to make it to the NBA in 2013.

The 33-year-old has exceeded expectations throughout his career from Portland to New Orleans. Additionally, he has ranked among the top scorers in the league for several years and as he continues his quest to win his maiden championship on the court, his off-court life seems all figured out. CJ is happily married to Elise Esposito McCollum, who is his biggest support system.

What does CJ McCollum’s wife Elise do for a living?

McCollum and Elise have been together for the longest time. They met each other, back when the pair were attending Lehigh University. At the time, CJ was rising through the ranks as a young hoopster, whereas Elise was pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science. Later on, she even earned her Master’s from the same Uni, after which she found her true calling in dentistry.

Elise devoted her time as a dental assistant initially, under her father Michael Esposito’s wing, who’s a well-known dentist. After several years of honing her skills, she decided it was time to enroll at the Columbia University of Dental Medicine to earn her doctorate and help her practice. Despite this, she attended many Blazers’ home games too! CJ McCollum and his wife have been together ever since, and they’ve supported each other through their respective journey. She now goes by the handle: Elise McCollum, D.D.S.

When did CJ McCollum and Elise get married? Do they have kids?

The Pelicans star and his long-time girlfriend Elise did not rush their relationship. One day, while relaxing on a beautiful sailing boat across New York, he finally asked the question. McCollum proposed to Elise and later shared the lovely news through his social handle in 2018. “Romans 13:8: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” #Bendtheknee #IllbetheMrtoyoueDr,” he captioned the carousel of lovely pictures.

Initially, McCollum and Elise planned to get married in September 2020 and had everything planned accordingly. But, because of the coronavirus, their marriage faced the risk of being kept on hold temporarily. Regardless, they went ahead with the plan with a twist to ensure everyone’s safety (more on this later). The power couple has been enjoying their married life ever since, and they even welcomed their first son together, Jacobi James McCollum, in January 2022. A year later, Margaux, their daughter, was born.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect CJ McCollum and Elise’s wedding?

Like any other couple who were super excited for their special day, McCollum and his wife Elise also started planning well ahead of time, but little did they know that the COVID-19 pandemic would put a stop to their plans. Elise then assured, “Ensuring our family and friends remained healthy was most important to us.”

“I don’t think we would be able to live with ourselves if someone became sick as a result of attending our wedding. Needless to say, given the state restrictions, having the wedding or anything close to it was not going to be an option.” Furthermore, after hearing the news from the NBA, which stated the season was going to resume inside a bubble, their initial date was thrown out of the window.

McCollum decided to cut short the guestlist, which was previously 250 to just 20! They picked the Oregon countryside as their destination for the wedding. Elise described the venue as, “The scenery was stunning, and they had exactly enough rooms to accommodate our 20 guests.” For precautions, every guest was required to take a COVID test 48 hours prior, and even the staff was tested daily to eliminate risk. They ended up rescheduling the wedding thrice, but it’s safe to say that the pandemic never dampened the mood!