Todd MacCulloch
Encyclopedia
Todd Carlyle MacCulloch (born January 27, 1976 in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
) is a retired Canadian
professional basketball
player. He was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers
and New Jersey Nets
in the NBA.
played four seasons in the NBA before being forced to retire prematurely due to a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affected his feet, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
. In his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers
, MacCulloch played reserve center, averaging 9.4 minutes, 2.6 rebounds and just under 4 points in 56 and 63 games respectively from 1999 to 2001. In the 2001 off-season, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets
and as their starting center averaged 9.7 points and 6.1 rebounds a contest. MacCulloch was then traded back to the 76ers for the 2002–2003 season, in which he averaged just under 20 minutes, 7.1 points, and 4.7 rebounds a contest. Due to a chronic foot condition, he went on the injured reserve list at mid-season, did not play the following season, and announced his retirement in September 2004.
MacCulloch played for the Canadian national team of various sorts 93 times, most notably at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where the Canadians topped Yugoslavia
to win their group only to lose to eventual silver medalist France
in the quarterfinals and finish seventh.
A graduate of Shaftesbury High School
in Winnipeg, MacCulloch was in 1999 named Honorable Mention All-America as a senior at the University of Washington
, when he averaged 18.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and a .662 field goal percentage. He led the NCAA
Division I in field goal percentage in his final three years of college, only the second player ever to accomplish the feat. He was all-Pac Ten First Team selection in his final two years at Washington. He was drafted by the 76ers in the 2nd round (47th overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft
.
MacCulloch is married to wife Jana and now lives near Seattle.
MacCulloch has played in several pinball tournaments. He competed in the European pinball championship in Stockholm in 2007, and has played in the PAPA World Pinball Championships since 2005, qualifying in the B Division multiple times. In October 2011, Todd won the Pinball Expo in Chicago, beating world champions Keith Elwin and Lyman Sheats on his way to his first major pinball title and a $3,000 cash prize.
MacCulloch says there are indeed some similarities between pinball and basketball. He relates: "Hand-eye coordination is really important in both, and maintaining your focus is definitely important. I've been in some pressure situations in big [basketball] games, and nerves wouldn't affect me, but I've found that in pinball tournaments, I can't seem to keep those nerves at bay. My heart beats faster, my chest gets tight. Competition is competition, and I thought I'd respond well, but I haven't been able to rein that in yet."
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
) is a retired Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
and New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the NBA.
Basketball career
A Winnipeg, Manitoba native, the 7'0", 280 lb (2.13 m, 125 kg) centerCenter (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
played four seasons in the NBA before being forced to retire prematurely due to a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affected his feet, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease- , known also as Morbus Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy , hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy , or peroneal muscular atrophy, is an inherited disorder of nerves that takes different forms...
. In his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, MacCulloch played reserve center, averaging 9.4 minutes, 2.6 rebounds and just under 4 points in 56 and 63 games respectively from 1999 to 2001. In the 2001 off-season, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and as their starting center averaged 9.7 points and 6.1 rebounds a contest. MacCulloch was then traded back to the 76ers for the 2002–2003 season, in which he averaged just under 20 minutes, 7.1 points, and 4.7 rebounds a contest. Due to a chronic foot condition, he went on the injured reserve list at mid-season, did not play the following season, and announced his retirement in September 2004.
MacCulloch played for the Canadian national team of various sorts 93 times, most notably at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where the Canadians topped Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
to win their group only to lose to eventual silver medalist France
France national basketball team
The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball . The team has been competitive, but has yet to win a major international tournament...
in the quarterfinals and finish seventh.
A graduate of Shaftesbury High School
Shaftesbury High School
Shaftesbury High School is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Tuxedo neighbourhood. It has a population of 750 students who come from Charleswood, Linden Woods and Tuxedo.-Notable alumni:* Nia Vardalos - Actress* Steven Fletcher - Politician...
in Winnipeg, MacCulloch was in 1999 named Honorable Mention All-America as a senior at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, when he averaged 18.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and a .662 field goal percentage. He led the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I in field goal percentage in his final three years of college, only the second player ever to accomplish the feat. He was all-Pac Ten First Team selection in his final two years at Washington. He was drafted by the 76ers in the 2nd round (47th overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
.
MacCulloch is married to wife Jana and now lives near Seattle.
Pinball career
MacCulloch played pinball whenever he could growing up, at malls, arcades and bowling alleys around town. He began buying up pinball machines when he signed as a free agent with the Nets in 2001 and got his first house. His collection is now greater than 60 pinball and non-pinball arcade games.MacCulloch has played in several pinball tournaments. He competed in the European pinball championship in Stockholm in 2007, and has played in the PAPA World Pinball Championships since 2005, qualifying in the B Division multiple times. In October 2011, Todd won the Pinball Expo in Chicago, beating world champions Keith Elwin and Lyman Sheats on his way to his first major pinball title and a $3,000 cash prize.
MacCulloch says there are indeed some similarities between pinball and basketball. He relates: "Hand-eye coordination is really important in both, and maintaining your focus is definitely important. I've been in some pressure situations in big [basketball] games, and nerves wouldn't affect me, but I've found that in pinball tournaments, I can't seem to keep those nerves at bay. My heart beats faster, my chest gets tight. Competition is competition, and I thought I'd respond well, but I haven't been able to rein that in yet."
Trivia
- In an episode of Chappelle's ShowChappelle's ShowChappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
, in a skit where African Americans get their reparationsReparations for slaveryReparations for slavery is a proposal that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people in the United States, in consideration of the coerced and uncompensated labor their ancestors performed over several centuries...
, the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
play the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
but none of the black players are playing, so MacCulloch plays one-on-one, beating Travis KnightTravis KnightTravis Knight is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 1996 NBA Draft...
.