Jan 31, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) brings the ball up court against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

'If You Don’t Have an Escape, You’ll Go Crazy' – Washington Wizards’ Rookie Receives Sage Advice From CJ McCollum

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 12:57 AM ET

The Washington Wizards acquired CJ McCollum as part of the Jordan Poole trade, and the 34-year-old guard is expected to be one of the team’s elder statesmen this upcoming season.

During the Washington Wizards’ Media Day, McCollum revealed his advice to the team’s youngsters, particularly for Tre Johnson, who was the sixth overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.

“I was telling him, ‘What else do you do besides play basketball?’ He was like, ‘I just sleep.’ I was like ‘Bro, you gotta find something else. You don’t play video games?’ He was like ‘No, all I do is hoop.’ I said ‘That’s great, that’s important, and that’s the type of mentality you gotta have. But you need an escape. This is about to be 82 games, practice every day, you’re only off once every six days. We’re gonna be in new cities every night. You’re gonna need something to do on that off day that’s not basketball,” McCollum shared via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.

Mar 19, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) high-fives Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller after making a three-point basket in the second half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“I said, ‘It’s 24 hours in the day, you need some hobbies. I’ll send you some books, I’ll send you some stuff. But you gotta find something else that helps you escape the game. If you don’t have an escape, you’ll go crazy.’ That’s what I’ve noticed in this sport. Without balance, there’s chaos,” he added.

Washington Wizards News: Tre Johnson names Kevin Durant as his basketball idol

Tre Johnson revealed during the Washington Wizards’ Media Day that Kevin Durant was a huge influence on his game growing up. Johnson and Durant are both from Texas.

Marcus Foster #1 of the Xavier Musketeers looks to pass the ball against the defense of Tre Johnson #20 of the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the First Four game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2025, in Dayton, Ohio. / Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

“Growing up, I kind of just watched Kevin Durant,” Johnson told ClutchPoints’ Joshua Valdez. “I was taller than everybody, thinking I was gonna be as tall as he was. I learned at a young age how to use my size, shoot over players.”

“Everything I do is basketball-related. I just got a book, so I’m trying to expand a little bit into reading,” he continued. “But everything is basketball-related unless I’m listening to music, on the phone with friends, or sleeping. That’s about it.”