Veteran guard CJ McCollum likely made “Jennifer” proud on Monday night when he almost singlehandedly guided the Atlanta Hawks to a 107-106 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The “Jennifer” in question is Jennifer Williams, an avid Golden State Warriors fan who inadvertently sparked a legendary meme during the 2018 offseason.
In August 2018, McCollum, then a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, was highly critical of NBA star players for joining “superteams” to chase rings, calling it a “disgusting” tactic. McCollum even said he was “brought up differently” and would never take shortcuts to try to win a championship.
Jennifer chimed in with the following tweet:
“Win a playoff game then talk.”
Rather than getting defensive, McCollum offered a hilarious response:
“I’m trying Jennifer.”
After his terrific 32-point performance on Monday, the NBA on NBC Instagram account sent out a very apt message.
CJ McCollum: Who is Jennifer?
The saga involving McCollum and Jennifer didn’t end after a few Twitter exchanges. During the 2019 NBA playoffs, McCollum proved himself by leading the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals, winning eight playoff games.
Before Game 2 of the Warriors vs. Blazers series that year, ESPN arranged a surprise meeting between McCollum and Jennifer, which ended with a warm embrace.
“I’m still trying!” McCollum reiterated when he met her.
CJ McCollum: New Knicks Villain?
McCollum produced one of the best clutch performances of his career on Monday, making three crucial buckets in the final 2:08 of the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead step-back jumper with 34 seconds left, to cap off Atlanta’s win.
The usually mild-mannered guard even received a technical foul for getting into a verbal exchange with Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, a sequence that prompted loud boos and expletive-laced chants from the fiery MSG crowd.
After the game, McCollum was asked whether he had embraced the role of a “villain” after breaking the hearts of Knicks fans.
“I’m no villain, I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife,” McCollum responded.
“I think it’s admiration. Great, passionate fans in a hostile environment. It’s fun, it’s basketball, it’s the playoffs. If anything, I think it’s a sign of respect.”
McCollum admitted that the MSG atmosphere fired him up down the stretch.
“When the buzzer sounds and it’s quiet and you walk off the court, there’s a level of mutual respect,” McCollum said.
“I’ve been to games in the Garden as a fan … I’ve seen playoff games here. It’s a pleasure to be able to play here. A pleasure to walk off the court with a win.”
The Knicks were up 100-92 with five minutes left in the game, after being up at least 14 points in the third quarter. Yet they suffered a heartbreaking loss, courtesy of McCollum’s heroics. The tied series will now shift to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday.
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