The biggest Woj Bomb of Adrian Wojnarowski’s career might also be his last.
Wojnarowski stunned the sports world Wednesday morning by announcing his retirement from ESPN and the news world, ending a career in the industry spanning nearly four decades.
“This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry,” Wojnarowski wrote in his announcement. “I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”
The 55-year-old Wojnarowski is leaving ESPN and accepting a role as the general manager of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure. The position includes Name Image and Likeness allocation, recruiting and supporting head coach Mark Schmidt. Wojnarowski is a 1991 graduate of St. Bonaventure.
Wojnarowski has been ESPN’s top NBA insider since 2017 after previous stops at Yahoo Sports and The Record of Bergen County.
“I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers,” Wojnarowski added in his announcement. “No one has benefitted more from the belief, trust and generosity of others.”
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Wojnarowski is leaving around $20 million on the table by exiting ESPN. Sitting atop of the NBA insider industry at just 55 years old, Wojnarowski had plenty of time left in the sports media if he wanted it. But for Wojnarowski to walk away, while staring at the prospect of adding $20 million to his bank account, all in the name of wanting to spend his time differently is commendable. It’s commendable and it’s almost unheard of in the sports media industry.
ESPN and sports fans will miss his news, as well as his rivalry with Shams Charania. Wojnarowski helped take the sports insider position to another level by setting the standard for others who sought to break news. And after 37 years as a reporter and seven years at ESPN, the insider seemingly addicted to breaking news decided to move on with one final Woj Bomb.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com