Pelicans reveal CJ ​​McCollum has been diagnosed with a minor collapsed right lung again… two years after suffering the same injury with the Trail Blazers

New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard CJ McCollum is once again suffering from a minor right lung collapse, the team has revealed.

The Pelicans announced Sunday that McCollum has been diagnosed with a “minor pneumothorax” in his right lung, meaning part of the lung has collapsed.

The former Trail Blazers star battled the same injury during his time with Portland, after damaging his ribs in a 2021 loss to the Boston Celtics.

A statement from New Orleans concluded: “Additional testing will be conducted over the next 48 hours to determine healing progress. More information will be provided following investigation.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, a pneumothorax occurs “when air leaks into the space between your lungs and chest wall.”

The air is then said to push against the outside of your lung and cause it to collapse, although a pneumothorax can be a complete collapse or simply a collapse of part of the lung.

After suffering the injury in 2021, Portland said McCollum fully healed two and a half weeks after his initial diagnosis.

However, he didn’t return for the Trail Blazers until three weeks afterward.

McCollum saw action for New Orleans on Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 13 points in an eventual 123-105 loss at Smoothie King Center.

He also recorded 33 points in the 125-116 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.

The Pelicans star even found a moment to play rock-paper-scissors with a young fan during a stoppage in the second quarter.

“I actually owe that boy a pair of shoes,” said an exhausted but grinning McCollum. ‘We have to find the child. I lost.’

McCollum, who is in his second season with the Pelicans, averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals this season.