Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum, a mainstay of NBA coverage for nearly three decades, the author of several books including "Seven Seconds or Less," and one of the most-read NBA writers anywhere, says he has accepted a buyout. We spoke a few minutes ago.
"Whenever anybody 'takes a buyout,'" he says, "it sounds like code for being pushed out the door. But that isn't the case. It was just the right time for me. I've been at SI since Larry and Magic were considered svelte. I've enjoyed every minute of it. All right, not every minute. But most minutes. I even enjoyed it when David Stern insulted my wardrobe at press conferences.
"Pro hoops takes a lot of bashing in the public eye, but, to the journalists who cover it, it's a sport with great people playing it, coaching it, front-officing it, p.r.-ing it, writing it and blogging it. I'll still be doing some stuff as a Special Contributor, so feel free, as always, to question my opinions and word choice."
Prodded a bit more about what else could be next, he suggested that he might "write a novel that nobody will read." McCallum also teaches journalism at Muhlenberg College.
