Brian Windhorst has made a name for himself by diving deep into the inner workings of the NBA, and it seems he’s been eyeing a change.
On a recent episode of “The Discovery of Pablo Torre,” it was mentioned that Thunder GM Sam Presti has shown interest in hiring Windhorst as an “information officer” in Oklahoma City.
Torre shared that about a decade ago, Presti had actually looked into bringing Windhorst on board to strengthen their information network.
According to Torre, Presti values information highly, viewing it as key to competitive advantage, something you really don’t give away easily.
Though Windhorst stayed with ESPN, he’s not the first media figure to transition into an NBA role.
John Hollinger, after his time at ESPN, moved to the Grizzlies front office before going back to journalism. Similarly, Lee Jenkins switched from Sports Illustrated to become the Clippers’ executive director of research and identity, where he currently serves as Vice President of Basketball Affairs.
Of course, not all attempts to cross over have been successful, like Bill Simmons’ well-documented effort to land a GM position with the Timberwolves back in 2009.
Yet, Windhorst continues to operate in the media sphere, notably covering the 2025 NBA Finals.
Starting out in Akron, Ohio, Windhorst covered LeBron James during his high school days. After a stint as a Cavs beat writer for local papers, he joined ESPN in 2010 when LeBron moved to the Heat.
Additionally, Torre shared more about Presti’s creative side, revealing he produced a jazz rap album called “Milk Money,” though it appears to have vanished from the internet over time.
Clearly, there’s a lot of talent in this mix, whether on the court or off it.
