Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the “Woj Bomb” on himself.
ESPN's NBA Insider Announced on Wednesday X is retiring from reporting and news media to become general manager of the St. Bonaventure University men's basketball program.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the sports media industry, as until Wednesday morning it seemed as though Wojnarowski would be covering NBA news on his deathbed.
He will give up about $20 million. From Athletic.
A source confirmed to The Washington Post that Wojnarowski gave up a “significant” amount remaining in his ESPN contract.
“I grew up two miles from the ESPN campus, the son of a factory worker, and dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter,” Wojnarowski wrote in X. “Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline, and I never stopped chasing that thrill.
“While this job has changed my life, I have decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the responsibility my role requires and no longer require that investment. Time is not infinite, and I want to use my time in a more personally meaningful way.”
Wojnarowski's job required him to be tethered to his cell phone 24/7, but it's clear from his presentation that this is not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
Wednesday's announcement was a shock, but it was foreshadowed in a 2022 conversation ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan had on the Marchand and Orlando Sports Media Podcast, a former joint venture between The Washington Post and Sports Business Journal.
“I've known Woj for a long time, and I think he's the absolute best at what we do,” Passan said at the time. “And Woj has a dream that one day — I don't know when — when he's done with his job, he's going to throw his cell phone in the ocean. And you know what? That dream of throwing the cell phone in the ocean is something that I'm going to adopt and steal one day.”
In his announcement, Wojnarowski expressed gratitude to those who have worked with him along the way.
“To my countless mentors and colleagues, my subjects and stories, my readers and viewers, I leave with an immense sense of gratitude. No one has benefited more from the faith, trust and generosity of others than I have,” he continued in the statement.
“The past seven years at ESPn have been an extraordinary privilege, and I am grateful to the company leaders, especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas, for understanding and embracing my decision to change my life.”
“After all these years of reporting on everyone's teams, I'm going back to my own team.”
Wojnarowski is a St. Bonaventure University graduate and his new role will include name, image and likeness (NIL) duties, recruiting and supporting head coach Mark Schmidt.
We'll have more to share on this ongoing story in the coming days
