Retired ESPN’s top NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski sent his well wishes to his former protege-turned-industry rival Shams Charania, who announced on October 7 that he’s joining ESPN.
“Shams texted me after I announced my retirement, and you know what I told him is what I would say today, that I hope he has as fulfilling and as rewarding of a career as I’ve had,” Wojnarowski said in a video message posted on X by sports radio host Jim Rome. “And I certainly wish that for him and he’s right about the incredible group of colleagues that he’s going to find at ESPN. The best of the best, incredible reporters on-air talent. And so, you know, for me, that was always the best part of working at ESPN, where the colleagues who elevate you, you’re around the best of the best.”
“And that was true on the NBA, and then that was true being around [Adam] Schefter and [Pete] Thamel and [Jeff] Passan and those guys. So wish him the best, and he’s got a great team around him at ESPN I miss those guys already but still talking to those guys a lot.”
Charania is leaving The Athletic, Stadium and FanDuel to take over Wojnarowski’s vacated spot at ESPN. He signed a multi-year deal with a podcast of his own, similar to Wojnarowski’s “The Woj Pod,” which is still to be determined, according to an industry source.
“I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s senior NBA insider. I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide,” Charania said in a post on X.
Shams Charania’s Rise
Charania has amassed 2.4 million followers on X as he became the fast-rising NBA reporter following his departure from Yahoo Sports, where he worked under Wojnarowski.
They became rivals once Wojnarowski joined ESPN in 2017 and Charania stayed behind at Yahoo Sports before joining The Athletic as one of their highest-paid hires in 2018. Their fierce battle in breaking top NBA trades, contract signings, and injuries on X, formerly Twitter, was even dubbed as the NBA’s “only rivalry” by the Washington Post.
The 30-year-old Charania began his sportswriting career as a teenager in the Chicago suburbs. He previously worked with RealGM before Wojnarowski brought him to Yahoo Sports.
Adrian Wojnarowski’s Retirement
Wojnarowski, 55, announced his sudden retirement from ESPN and the NBA news industry on September 18 to become St. Bonaventure men’s basketball’s general manager.
“This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry,” Wojnarowski said in a statement. “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.
“I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers. No one has benefitted more than me from the belief, trust, and generosity of others.”
Wojnarowski is a proud alumnus of St. Bonaventure and was passionate about their basketball team.
“It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution,” Wojnarowski told ESPN. “I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men’s futures in ways both professionally and personally.”
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Adrian Wojnarowski Reacts to Shams Charania Replacing Him as ESPN’s NBA Insider