CJ McCollum has his favorite EuroLeague team, dreams about joining his brother in Europe / News - Basketnews.com

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Can you imagine the McCollum brothers on the same team in Europe? Since high school, they haven't played together, but CJ still has a dream scenario for him and Errick.

"Outside of mine, his favorite team is Barcelona," Errick McCollum revealed on the Urbonus podcast. "He loves the weather. I think he likes the style of Spanish play, how fast they play, up and down. He always jokes with me and says when he's done playing, maybe he'll play one year in Barcelona (laughs). I tell him you won't because it's different in Europe. Not as much freedom as in the NBA.

I told him the NBA is a players league, and EuroLeague is more like a coaches league. The coaches run the systems, and they have a lot of power. Maybe not so much in the NBA, where stars control a lot of things. I tell him that it would be an adjustment for you, the NBA guys."

McCollum reunion probably won't happen until 2024 since CJ is still on a three-year $100M contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Errick, 33, is 3.5 years older than his brother. CJ McCollum will turn 30 on September 19.

If it were his choice, in the current market situation, Errick would take CJ to his new team, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.

"Right now Lokomotiv Kuban. That's where I play," Errick said on Urbonus. "It's a hidden gem in Russia. It's good weather. He would just want to play with me.

We haven't played with each other since high school. I'm three-and-a-half years older, so he was only 14 years old, and at that time, I was 17 or 18. He was still young, his body still developing. He would choose a city with good weather and things to do for our wives if it were his choice.

As long as we're out there playing, that would be amazing. But as time passes, you know some things can't happen. I don't think it will ever happen (smiles.). His salary is probably the cost of the overall EuroLeague budget. He'd be the only player out there (laughs)."

CJ is not only Errick's brother but the best friend too. They watch each other playing despite the time differences. Sometimes they follow each other's game during the shootaround, stretching, or massage.

At the end of the season 2020-21, Errick was able to see his brother play live for the first time in four years. He watched him score 21 points, but it wasn't enough to keep Portland alive in the NBA playoffs series against the Denver Nuggets.

CJ also visited Errick in Europe in 2018, when his older brother played for the Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

CJ McCollum has the EuroLeague TV pass and tries to watch all of his brother's games. He's also a fan of EuroLeague basketball.

"He likes it. He likes the strategy, the intensity of every game," Errick told on Urbonus. "He really enjoys the crowds. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19, he didn't get that experience the last year. But he's got to see the crowds, how involved they are, how passionate. And just the high level of play, a lot of quality players.

If you're a fan of the game of basketball, it doesn't matter if it's the NBA or the EuroLeague. It draws you if you see the high-level play and good tacticians, strategies, and coaches."

Watch the full conversation with Errick McCollum on the Urbonus podcast:

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