Jackie MacMullan is one of the few female sports reporters who has actually had a chance to collaborate with her subjects on a personal level. Her presence in sports, especially in the NBA, shows her appreciation for the game and dedication to the sport she loves. MacMullan’s constant dedication to basketball, her contributions to some of the great players in the game, and her journalistic talent demonstrate exactly why she is this week’s spotlight.
MacMullan’s collegiate career prepared her for her work. She played basketball all four years and received a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire. After graduating in 1982, she accepted a job at the Boston Globe the same year. She worked there for more than 20 years before accepting a buyout from the paper in 2008. From 1995-2000, she wrote about the NBA for Sports Illustrated. MacMullan has worked for various television outlets such as Comcast, CNNSI and NESN along with ESPN.
MacMullan’s writing talents spilled over from her articles into books. She wrote and collaborated with some of the best in the NBA including Shaquille O’Neal and Larry Bird. Her writing credits include Shaq UnCut: My Story, When The Game Was Ours and Bird Watching: on Playing and Coaching the Game I Love. MacMullan’s contributions to these books showed how much she really understands and appreciates the game while also being able to work personally to write about them.
Her writing would earn her multiple awards and make her a pioneer in sports writing. She received the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2010 which is awarded to media personalities who make a significant difference in basketball. MacMullan was the first female to receive the award in its 21-year existence. She also received the For the Love of Sport Award and was inducted to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in their media division among multiple other accolades.
However, MacMullan is mostly known for her contributions as a regular panelist on Around The Horn. Her opinions on Around The Horn are usually very candid and sometimes unpopular. Her stance against Greg Hardy garnered a lot of attention as it should have. Her choice to call out both Greg Hardy and Jerry Jones is one of the reasons why she deserves so much attention. She also took on Deflategate, telling Tom Brady to “move on.”
In addition to working at ESPN, she also contributes to a Boston news program and a Boston radio show. Her presence in basketball is one that won’t soon be forgotten. MacMullan is one of the best NBA writers and her multiple publications and awards show.
