Todd MacCulloch

Early life

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 24.7 points, 15.9 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 an All-Pac-10 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.

Basketball career

MacCulloch 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 9 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, 9.1 points, and 4.7 rebounds a contest. Due to an inherited neurological disorder, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which affects the peripheral nerves of the hands and feet 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.

In an episode of Chappelle's Show, in a skit where African Americans get their reparations, the Philadelphia 76ers play the New York Knicks but none of the black players are playing, so MacCulloch plays one-on-one, beating Travis Knight.

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."