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If CJ McCollum does not make the 2017 NBA All-Star team, he will decline participation in the weekend’s festivities, according to Dan Sheldon of CSN NW.
CJ McCollum says if he doesn't make the All-Star team, he won't be a part of other festivities. Wants a break and doesn't love New Orleans.
— Dan Sheldon (@DanSheldonCSN) January 19, 2017
In 2016, McCollum took part in the skills challenge and was a last-minute addition to the 3-point competition, filling in for injured forward Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat. He would lose the skills challenge to Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics in the second round and come out cold in the 3-point competition, making just 10-25 shots for a first round exit.
Fast forward and this has been a trying season for the Portland Trail Blazers, so it only makes sense for McCollum to want a little R&R. Unless the coaches select him as a reserve for the game, he will be watching the weekend’s events from an armchair or, perhaps, a beach chair.
Shooting a career-high 42.2 percent from beyond the arc in 2016-17, McCollum would be a shoo-in for an invite to the 3-point competition.