T-Mac Retires......

[NYCdog]

Todd MacCulloch Announces Retirement
by Derek Harper

Sooner or later, every professional basketball player’s career comes to an end. For Todd MacCulloch, that day came earlier than expected. 76ers President and General Manager Billy King officially announced on Sept. 22 that MacCulloch will retire from the game of basketball due to foot neuropathy, a condition that has plagued the 7-foot-0 center much of the last two years.

“I was hoping that we’d be talking about this 10 to 12 years down the road, but we’re here today,” said King. “I think for Todd he’s still going to be a big part of our family, and I think he’ll add a lot to the organization in other capacities, but it just won’t be on the basketball court.”

MacCulloch’s injury caused him to miss the entire 2003-04 campaign as well as 40 games during the 2002-03 season. According to league rules the 76ers will be able to apply for MacCulloch’s salary to be taken off of their salary cap as of Feb. 19, 2005, two years after he went on the injured list.

MacCulloch has searched for a treatment and a cause to his ailment, and underwent tarsal tunnel release surgery on his left foot on Jan. 22, 2004. While opinions have varied, MacCulloch has never gotten a firm diagnosis of what has been causing his injury.

While MacCulloch has been making a valiant attempt to get back to playing condition, he had other reasons to want to feel better.

“I’ve received a lot of support from the fans on the street. They just wanted me to get better, wanted me to come back, and I wanted to do it for a lot of reasons,” said MacCulloch. “Billy and I talked a while ago, and he told me that he appreciated me trying really hard to get back to play, and that’s absolutely true. But I was also trying very hard to have my nerves heal so that I would not be thinking about them all the time and not constantly be bothered and hindered. So, I’m still looking for things to make me more comfortable and allow me to live a long and happy life. I realize that even if I did continue to play basketball it wouldn’t be forever, and I’m looking beyond that. So, I’m hopeful that my symptoms will improve. And maybe it’s something that there is no cure fo,r but I’m hoping that things can be made a little more comfortable for me.”

A five-year veteran, MacCulloch has appeared in 223 games, with two teams (New Jersey and Philadelphia) and has posted career averages of 6.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Originally selected by the Sixers in the second round (47th overall pick) of the 1999 NBA Draft, MacCulloch was signed by the Nets as a free agent on July 19, 2001, after two seasons with Philadelphia. He made back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals with the Sixers (2001) and the Nets (2002). On Aug. 6, 2002, MacCulloch returned to the 76ers along with Keith Van Horn in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo.

MacCulloch will continue to be a large part of the 76ers organization even after his retirement as he will resume his role as a Color Commentator for Sixers radio broadcasts in addition to working with the Sixers Community Relations Department.

“I just wish that it could go on longer in terms of playing, but I’m glad that I can still be a part of things as it is,” stated MacCulloch.

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[westkoast]

LOL.  Could have kept us fooled if you said 'because of security reasons'.  Poor Mac, at least he gets to keep his money for this upcomming season right?

Good thing Jesus signed to the Lakers...although since Shaq is gone I dont think we need to have him reverse his process as much and turn whine into water.  Kobe could keep him busy.

[Derek Bodner]

Poor Mac, at least he gets to keep his money for this upcomming season right?

He gets all his money.  80% of it will be paid by an insurance company, and it will come off the Sixers cap this February (2 years after he stopped playing, February '03)