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NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the basketball and journalist industries Wednesday, announcing his retirement from ESPN to become the GM of his alma mater St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball team.
This wasn’t a move many at ESPN saw coming. One staffer told Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy they were “floored” by the news. “There’s only one Woj,” they said.
Messages from Wojnarowski’s colleagues at ESPN flooded social media, with multiple colleagues comparing him to Barry Sanders, the Lions running back whose retirement stunned the NFL in 1999.
“I’ve been fortunate to spend more than 20 years in this business working with reams of talented people. Adrian Wojnarowski is the best. Period. A peerless reporter. A gifted wordsmith. A storyteller nonpareil. He is Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, leaving at the apex of his game,” wrote MLB reporter Jeff Passan.
Stephen A. Smith posted that he is “devastated” over Wojnarowski’s departure. “What a loss for us here at ESPN. The absolute best in the business, my man @wojespn. I’m gonna miss you, Buddy!” Smith repeated these sentiments on First Take: “I just hope that this is a very, very happy move, and I anticipate that it is, because we sure didn’t ask him to leave, I can assure you of that.”
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro echoed Smith in a statement: “While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit.”
“Wow. Congrats & best wishes to you and your family on your retirement. It was an honor to work with you for 15-plus years. You changed the ways that news is broken in sports and will be forever remembered for your Woj bombs. Respect my friend. Definitely left on top. Go Bonnies!” posted NBA writer Marc Spears.
ESPN treated the story not as a press release about an employee, but a news story by three of its most famous writers: Passan, Pete Thamel, and Adam Schefter.
Many of the tributes spoke to Wojnarowski’s character outside his work.
“Just so we’re clear. Woj was an EXCELLENT insider. The BEST. But I love the friend who sent baby gifts, who snagged DU gear for my parents b/c he knew they went there and who would ALWAYS send a note of support at EXACTLY the time u needed it. He is the most thoughtful man and friend and I’m honored to know him. GO BONNIES @wojespn .. ur my teammate for life!” studio host Elle Duncan posted.
“Woj is one of the best sports reporters, columnist and writers ever to talk the earth. More importantly he’s as nice and supportive of young journalists as anyone in this industry. I can speak to that first hand but so too can dozens of others. As good as it gets. A true legend,” posted football podcaster Kevin Clark.
Ex-ESPN personality Bomani Jones asked people to think about Wojnarowski’s legacy beyond his signature news flashes: “forget about the bombs. adrian’s the single best basketball columnist i’ve ever read. this is a stunner,” he posted.
Another former ESPNer, Dan Le Batard, acknowledged Wojnarowski’s grueling schedule on his show. “I’m telling you that that lifestyle is a mental health calamity. I would not want it no matter how much it pays,” he said, adding that he thinks other breaking news reporters like Schefter and Shams Charania are probably jealous of Wojnarowski. “For him to get out when the information person is more valuable than they’ve ever been, I don’t think it’s suspicious, I think it’s everything to do with lifestyle happiness. That is a job that it’s almost impossible to be happy in.”
Those outside of the Bristol bubble also praised Wojnarowski.
“We’ve been friends for 37 years and it’s always been my great privilege to call him my brother. Not sure I’ve ever been prouder of him than today, ending one remarkable chapter of his career and hitting the ground running on another,” posted New York Post sports columnist and fellow St. Bonaventure graduate Mike Vaccaro, along with a throwback and recent photo of the two.
Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski offered a personal story: “Met Woj at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage after reading him for a few years while he was the columnist at The Bergen Record. He has been a friend, a mentor, and a model ever since, and he’s going out the way any of us would want. All the best to him and his family.”
Max Tani, a media editor at Semafor, posted: “Gotta respect Woj for this. At some point there’s more to life than being first by ten minutes to tweet out that PJ Dozier has signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on a new one year non guaranteed minimum deal.”
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