CJ McCollum's Wife Has Been by His Side before He Became a NBA Player – More about Elise Esposito

CJ McCollum and his wife, Elise Esposito, have celebrated years together after meeting at university, and Esposito often takes to social media to share glimpses of her little family.

Despite obtaining multiple degrees and maintaining a long-distance relationship for years in order to chase her dreams, Espositio has always been by her husband's side.

Their love story has not always been smooth sailing, as the couple almost had their dream wedding day ruined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CJ McCollum's Wife Continued Studying until Recently

After graduating high school, Esposito enrolled at Lehigh University, the same place she met her future husband. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2013.

She furthered her studies that same year and obtained a Master's in Health Care Systems in 2014 before setting her sights on dentistry.

Before joining the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine as a Doctor of Dental Surgery candidate, Esposito had been working as a dental assistant with her father.

Her father, Michael Esposito, is an award-winning dentist who had been offering his daughter a taste of dentistry since 2005, from as early as her high school years.

In August 2018, Esposito took to social media in honor of her father's birthday to share pictures of him. In one snap, he sat in the dentist's share while his daughter gave him a "fake cleaning."

With over thirty thousand followers on Instagram at the time of writing, Esposito also took to social media to celebrate her academic accolades. After matching with VA Portland Health Care System in a dental program in February 2020, she shared a screenshot of the news on Instagram.

And in January 2020, she celebrated her graduation from the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine by posting a picture of herself in a cap and gown.

In 2019, Esposito returned to her old school, but it was not for academic reasons. After McCollum had his university jersey retired, Esposito was by his side and said:

"It’s crazy, I think we always knew he was going to accomplish a lot. It is just amazing to see how much he has accomplished. I am very proud of him.”

How Did CJ McCollum and Elise Esposito Start Dating?

On October 27, McCollum and Esposito celebrated their second wedding anniversary in an Instagram post and ten years together. In the post, Esposito detailed her love for McCollum, and the NBA player expressed his love to her in the comments section.

McCollum and Esposito spent a spell of their relationship living apart due to her schooling and his job in Portland. However, that did not stop her from showing her partner support, as she regularly attended his games. And as a break from both their jobs, the couple vacationed in the Bahamas and Cabo San Lucas.

CJ McCollum and Elise Esposito's Happy Family Life

McCollum and Esposito announced their engagement in 2018. A day before leaving for training camp, McCollum popped the question while the couple enjoyed a boat ride in New York City. Almost two years before COVID-19 hit, the couple had planned their wedding down to the makeup and the guest list.

However, as the pandemic worsened, McCollum and Esposito decided to change their Brooklyn wedding set for September 2020 to something small-scale in Oregon wine country. Esposito said:

"Ensuring our family and friends remained healthy was most important to us. I don't think we would be able to live with ourselves if someone became sick as a result of attending our wedding."

Over a year after their intimate wedding in the wine country, Espositio and McCollum announced they were expecting their first child. On January 10, 2022, their son, Jacobi James McCollum, was born.

Esposito often took to social media to share pictures of her family of three and celebrated CJ McCollum in a lengthy Instagram post during his first father's day.