Trailblazing and Hall of Fame sports journalist Jackie MacMullan is retiring

Longtime award-winning sportswriter Jackie MacMullan, who spent the past 11 years working for ESPN in a variety of multi-media roles and carved out a role as an NBA features writer, is retiring, ESPN announced in a news release on Wednesday.

Her last day is Aug. 31 when she will appear on the network’s ‘Around the Horn’ show.

MacMullan is one of the most respected sports journalists in the U.S., a trailblazer who was the first woman to receive the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I feel fortunate to have collaborated with so many incredibly talented people during my 10-plus years at ESPN,” MacMullan said in a statement. “Sometimes you just know when you’re ready to dial it back, and this is the right time for me. 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 worked at the Boston Globe for more than 25 years and joined ESPN in 2010. She won several Associated Press Sports Editor writing awards, including first-place in 2018 for her series on sports and mental health with a focus on the NBA.

In 2019, MacMullan received the PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing, becoming, the first woman to win the award. The Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) also selected her as the 2019 recipient of its Mary Garber Pioneer Award, the organization’s highest honor.

“Jackie is a trailblazer not because she was one of the first women covering sports or the NBA,” ESPN senior editor Christine Daglas said in a statement. “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. 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.” 

MacMullan was a delight in media workrooms, sharing personal and professional stories.

“Farewell to one of the enduring forces and icons of our industry – Jackie MacMullan is retiring from ESPN,” ESPN NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted. “Incredible talent, incredible friend. There will never be another Jackie Mac.”