Journalist Jackie MacMullan is retiring at the end of the month after spending the last 11 years at ESPN and 40 years covering the NBA.
“Sometimes you just know when you’re ready to dial it back, and this is the right time for me,” the 60-year-old MacMullan said. “I’m grateful for the memories, but especially for the friends I’ve made along the way. Thank you to my ESPN colleagues for all of your support.”
MacMullan joined ESPN in 2010, the same year she became the first woman to receive the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Her final appearance on ESPN is slated to be Aug. 31.
MacMullan joined the Boston Globe in 1982 and later served as the first female columnist in the history of the newspaper. She also was an associate editor of the Boston Globe from 2002-2008.
“Jackie is a trailblazer not because she was one of the first women covering sports or the NBA. Rather, Jackie is a trailblazer because people talked about her without mentioning sex or gender. It was about the work, an incredible catalogue of work, that has appeared on every ESPN platform,” ESPN senior deputy editor Cristina Daglas said.
“Simply put, Jackie is one of the greatest journalists ESPN has ever seen. And she did it all while providing mentorship to both editors and writers, ensuring whether she meant to or not, that pieces of her will remain here long after she exits.”
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–Field Level Media