Even though Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum has a painful back injury, he offered an amusing response as his team prepares to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs.
McCollum’s high-pitched imitation of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was inspired by a 2003 post-fight comment from the boxer that indicated he was also suffering from a back injury.
The Trail Blazers-Lakers matchup was set up when McCollum delivered a clutch fourth-quarter performance on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.
Finishing with 29 points on the afternoon, McCollum scored 14 of those in the final period to help the Trail Blazers win, 126-122. At the start of that final period, Portland was facing elimination, trailing 94-89.
McCollum’s performance was especially inspiring, considering he’s been dealing with that back injury that was reportedly suffered on July 31, during the Trail Blazers’ first game of their resumed season.
The injury was a fracture in his lower back, an issue that might have otherwise ended the season for other players.
How well the Trail Blazers do against the Lakers in the postseason is unknown, but it’s clear that McCollum’s sense of humor is still fully intact.
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