The 37-year-old may have never been a physically intimidating presence out in the middle, but his stature in the annals of cricket history speaks for itself.
The culture McCullum famously helped forge in creating a new identity for the New Zealand Cricket Team remains the envy of the cricket world.
Current captain Kane Williamson has picked up where McCullum left off with the Black Caps again emerging as the most admired and humble side on the planet following the heartbreaking World Cup final draw with England.
The tributes that flowed in for McCullum following his decision to give the game away entirely showed just how significant a place McCullum will hold in the sport's history.
Meanwhile, Williamson has also overshadowed the retirement of South African legend Dale Steyn this week, breathing new life into their famous 2013 test series confrontation where Williamson wore a 140km/h delivery direct to his nether regions.
Williamson posted an image of a cricket box he said was the one that cracked dramatically when Steyn's delivery crashed into his middle stump.
Williamson's Instagram tribute to the retiring Proteas veteran suggested the Kiwi captain can still feel every moment of agony he experienced when Steyn got one past his bat six years ago.
Steyn famously told Williamson he wasn't got to apologise when he stared the Kiwi star down as Williamson was left doubled over sucking in some deep breathes at the other end of the pitch.
You only have to look at McCullum to work out why Williamson is the most respected figure in cricket right now.
True to fashion, McCullum's retirement announcement was exactly as nonplussed as fans have come to expect from him.
He announced earlier this week his career will finish up at the end of the Canadian Global Twenty20 league's finals series, where he is playing with the Toronto Nationals.
"As much as I'm proud of what I've achieved in my 20 years professional career — more than I ever could have dreamed of when I first entered the game — I have felt the drive to keep going harder to maintain in recent months," he wrote.
"My style of cricket has always been full noise, full throttle. From Culling Park to Lord's and everything in between, there have been some wonderful memories. Unfortunately, the sacrifices needed and commitment required to play that type of cricket have now become too great."
He formally retired from international cricket three years ago, playing his last test against Australia in 2016 at Hagley Park, The New Zealand Herald reports.
Over his career he has played for 16 teams including the Indian Premier League, Australia's Big Bash and the English Country Championship.
He will continue coaching and commentating with TV stations around the world, including Channel 7 in Australia.
Legends including Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Clarke were among those to reach out to McCullum following his announcement.
