Former ESPN NBA insider Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski, who retired from the sports channel in September to become general manager of the men’s basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, has revealed that his departure from ESPN followed a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The disclosure came in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Wojnarowski said the diagnosis of early-stage cancer was made in March, and that the cancer is “pretty limited in scope.” Although he has suffered no symptoms, he continues to undergo quarterly checkups.
“When you hear you think about it going through your body like Pac-Man,” Wojnarowski says in the interview. “Prostate cancer, it generally stays confined to your prostate and is typically slow growing.”
Wojnarowski did not rule out the possibility of future surgery, and that ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro was “great,”, but that “the only reason to stay was the money. That wasn’t a good enough reason.”
His retirement from ESPN came as a shock to the sports world, especially considering his big $7 million annual salary. “This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry,” he wrote on X at the time. “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.”
