Portland Trail Blazers rookie C.J. McCollum discusses injury

As was reported yesterday, Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum, the tenth selection of the 2013 NBA Draft, fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during practice. (Portland fans, entirely unaccustomed to seeing promising young stars suffer injuries, were obviously shocked.)

In an interview today, McCollum discussed the injury and the disappointment he feels:

"We were, I’d say, halfway through the practice, going through a little ball screen defensive drill. Live action. Coming off a ball screen off the sideline, close sideline, I faced the hard edge, had a hard edge coming out. Went for the throwback pass, just natural instincts, and stepped on the foot. Rolled it … in. Knew there was some pain, had felt it. I’ve twisted my ankle worse before, so didn’t really know. I thought it was just a little sprain, crawled off. Then I walked. It’s funny. I actually walked to the shower, walked to get the X-Ray, and then just waited for the news. It’s very disappointing. Coming in your rookie (year), being selected in the lottery. You want to come in and play and kind of prove yourself, earn your stripes. I was having a good training camp. I was playing well. I had been here … and then you go down with an injury. It’s tough. But at the same time, I’ve been through obstacles before and I look forward to bouncing back (Oregon Live)."

McCollum went on to say that the injury wasn’t as severe as the broken foot he suffered while in college at Lehigh, but that he’s also unsure of when he’ll be back on the court again.

Our best wishes go out to McCollum in his recovery process. We will keep you readers updated as more information becomes available.

[Source: Oregon Live]