[1] McCallum joined the staff of Sports Illustrated magazine in 1981, and became known for his articles on the National Basketball Association (NBA).
[1] He won the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award – Print in 2005.
The piece soon evolved into a larger project, as the Suns granted McCallum full access to their practices and strategy sessions throughout the entire season.
The resulting work was his book :07 Seconds or Less – My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns (2006).
[3][4] In November 2008, McCallum announced that he had accepted a contract buyout from Sports Illustrated, but he has continued[clarification needed] to write pieces for the magazine as a special contributor.