A Titan of NBA Writing Accepts a Buyout

Jack McCallum

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-36-81/A-Titan-of-NBA-Writing-Accepts-a-Buyout.html

 

Wow, that sucks. I love reading his stuff. He's the epitome of what an SI writer should be. I hope he writes another book soon.

 

SI just got a whole lot lonelier. Jack made the NBA so much better for me. I respected him as much as any SI writer. Gary and S.L. might write the longer, more elegant pieces, but Jack was so consistent and it seemed like he would have an article in nearly every issue during the season.

 

I went to the Poynter summit a couple of years ago and his and John Sawatzky's sessions were by far the best of the ones I saw. He went through the process of writing a feature on Steve Nash, showing some of the lead ideas he had along the way. I would have killed to be able to write some of the ones he quickly dismissed.

Seemed like a really nice guy too.

 

Wow.

 

He is as good as it gets, as a person and a writer.

 

simply the best. and for those who know? the guy is the heart and soul of SI, the classic SI people grew up loving. a mighty blow.

 

Dayum.

 

Grew up reading him write about the NBA in the 80s. He left that beat for quite awhile but eventually returned and was as good as ever. This is a huge blow. His most recent piece on the Charlotte Bobcats was a great example of what he did, complete with some subtle shots at Jordan (who stilll doesn't talk to the magazine because of that baseball cover 14 years ago).

 

Jack's NBA work has been stellar, his work ethic is closer to a metro beat writer's grind than a premier weekly magazine's pace and I always was impressed with the high quality of his non-NBA pieces for SI. I'm hoping he takes this opportunity to stretch his legs beyond David Stern's league, in terms of books or freelancing or non-sports.

 

McCallum is a great guy and wonderful writer/reporter. He reminds me a bit of Halberstam, letting his great reporting and observations make for a wonderful read instead of trying to be stylish or cute like so many homogenized "big-time" writers do nowadays.

Jack has a lot of good years and good writing still in him---sorry, jack, if I'm making it sound like you are an old guy. You're not, but just trying to make a point.

 

I am not an NBA fan. I read every one of Jack's stories when they were in SI.