ESPN may have to come up with a new method to access the NBA.
Adrian Wojnarowski, who has been diligently recording team moves, trades and more within professional basketball for the Disney sports media giant for seven years, has decided to come along, citing a desire to improve his lifestyle. Within minutes of announcing his decision to leave ESPN, it was revealed that he would be working in college sports, as general manager of the men’s basketball team at St. Bonaventure University in New York, his alma mater.
“I understand the commitment required in my role, and it is an investment I am no longer driven to make,” Wojnarowski said in a statement. “Time is not available indefinitely and I want to spend it in ways that are more meaningful to me personally.”
The split appears to be amicable. Wojnarowski is “extremely talented and fearless,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He has led the industry at ESPN and his dedication to his craft is legendary. While we will miss his day-to-day performance, we fully understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down.”
Before joining ESPN in 2017, Wojnarowski spent nearly a decade at Yahoo Sports. He also spent nearly a decade at The Record of New Jersey, which he joined after stints at the Fresno Bee and the Republican-American of Waterbury, Connecticut. He was named National Sports Media Association’s National Sportswriter of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He is on a distinguished list of sportswriters who have won this award in at least three consecutive years, including Red Smith, Jim Murray, Frank Deford, Rick Reilly, Bob Ryan and Tom Verducci. He is also the author of “The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball’s Most Improbable Dynasty.”