ESPN‘s NBA insider Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski made a stunning announcement today: He is retiring after seven years at the network to become general manager of the men’s basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure.
“This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry,” he wrote on X. “I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer willing to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”
He added, “After all these years reporting on everyone else’s teams, I’m headed back to my own.”
Indeed, Wojnarowski, 55 — who grew up two miles from ESPN’s campus in Bristol, CT — has been covering “everyone else’s teams” since 1987, when he got his first byline for the Hartford Courant. He joined the Worldwide Leader in 2017 after stints at Yahoo Sports and New Jersey paper The Bergen Record, among other jobs.
“Woj” was ESPN’s star NBA reporter, well known for breaking scoops about the league. During the Covid lockdown in 2020, he was suspended after tweeting a reply to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who had sent a mass letter criticizing NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s relationship with China. Wojnarowski reply with “F*ck you.” The next day, some NBA stars including LeBron James came out in support of the reporter.
Watch ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith discuss Wojnarowski’s retirement and career here:
