CJ McCollum | CJ McCollum and Elise Esposito | Source: instagram.com/elisespo | Getty Images
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.
Esposito has been there for her husband, despite her multiple degrees and long distance relationship.
The COVID-19 pandemic nearly cost the couple their wedding. Their relationship has been anything but smooth.
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. In 2013, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor.
She furthered her studies that same year and obtained a Master’s in Health Care Systems in 2014 before setting her sights on dentistry.
Esposito was a dentist assistant for her father before she joined Columbia University College of Dental Medicine to become a Doctor of Dental surgery candidate.
Michael Esposito is her father and an award-winning dentist. He has been giving his daughter the opportunity to experience dentistry from high school.
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.
Esposito went back to school in 2019, but not because of 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. The couple planned their wedding almost two years prior to COVID-19.
McCollum & Esposito decided that the September 2020 wedding they had planned in Brooklyn would be moved to Oregon. Esposito said:
“Ensuring our family and friends remained healthy was most important to us. We wouldn’t be able live with our families if anyone became ill after attending our wedding.”
Elise Esposito, CJ McCollum and their son | Source: https://www.instagram.com/elisespo/
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.