CJ McCollum, an NBA player for the New Orleans Pelicans, is already following in the path of legendary NBA players who coupled their active playing careers with entrepreneurship.
He started out in business as a wine business owner, looking beyond the court. He debuted his own brand in 2020 called McCollum Heritage 91, which honors both his family name and the year he was born, 1991.
Before the Portland Trail Blazers selected McCollum, his then-girlfriend and future wife introduced him to wine. This began his second job. My chance relocation to one of the best wine-producing regions in the United States has elevated my already-existing passion and expertise for wine, according to McCollum.
McCollum bought a 318-acre property in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA as part of efforts to increase the wine brand’s production capacity. He became the first NBA player through the deal to purchase grape land.
“I’m thrilled by our new vineyard site,” he said, “It’s a property with a great deal of potential.” He also expressed excitement over his expansion project and said, “it’s been incredible to have my wife, Elise, join me on this journey. Since she served as the catalyst for my passion for wine, it’s going to be one more venture we share.”
Aside venturing into winery, McCollum has stakes in other businesses; according to him, he has invested in a total of 30. In a recent interview with Forbes, he spoke about how proud he is of his investment methods and the diversity of some of his portfolios.
“For me, it’s about building out a healthy portfolio. I’m in about 30 alternative investments right now, it’s about education first. My financial advisor and I pick an area every year that we want to learn about, and get a mentor in that space. … I’ve gone through the rigors of learning first and then investing.” he said.
According to him, some of his investment portfolios include restaurant franchising, land acquisitions, residential housing, and pharmaceuticals, among others.
“I’m in restaurant franchising… land acquisitions… residential housing… blockchain, crypto… NBA top shot… gaming… fanatics… pharmaceutical… hedge funds and private equity. Obviously, I’m in the wine space … ”he said. “I’m most proud of the diversity; I’m most proud of the real estate because that’s a way to attain generational wealth.”
McCollum says his next investment target is to own a piece of The Trail Blazers after retirement; he made a name for himself while playing for the blazers.