- Adrian Wojnarowski has been the preeminent figure in breaking NBA news for ESPN since leaving Yahoo in July 2017.
- Wojnarowski dropped one final “Woj Bomb” on ESPN on September 18 when he announced he was leaving to take the general-manager job at his former university, St. Bonaventure’s.
- There are various reporters who could fill Wojnarowski’s role at ESPN, including The Athletic’s Shams Charania, and TNT’s Chris Haynes.
If you’re a sports fan, and especially an NBA fan, you know Adrian Wojnarowski. You have definitely gotten an alert on your phone signaling a “Woj Bomb”, meaning there has been an NBA trade.
However, Wojnarowski dropped one final “Woj Bomb” on Wednesday, September 18. He announced he was leaving ESPN to become the general manager of the basketball program at St. Bonaventure’s, which is where he went to university.
From Yahoo to ESPN, No One Did NBA Rumors and Trades Like “Woj”
Wojnarowski was born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut, which is coincidentally where ESPN’s headquarters would be located. He would eventually wind up at Yahoo Sports in 2007, where Wojnarowski spent a decade before leaving for ESPN in July 2017.
Wojnarowski dominated the “insider” role for the “Worldwide Leader in Sports”, and it came to NBA free agency, fans were glued to their phone awaiting word of a “Woj Bomb”. Many fans wouldn’t believe that a trade was true until they saw Wojnarowski launch a “Woj Bomb” on X. As a result, Wojnarowski has over 6.5 million followers on X, which is where he announced his retirement.
“Woj” hasn’t always had the best reputation in the industry, as he gets his information from anonymous sources, which then lets players know they have a mole in their camp. He has also been accused of bullying fellow reporters whom he felt threatened by. However, love or hate him, Wojnarowski was still the place to get breaking NBA news from.
Wojnarowski also revealed that he was leaving ESPN to take the general-manager role at St. Bonaventure’s for its basketball program. Wojnarowski graduated from St. Bonnie’s in 1991, and he received an honorary doctorate from the school in May 2022.
The general-manager role in college sports is relatively new as teams try to navigate the NIL landscape, where schools can pay athletes. St. Bonnie’s last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, and has been in the Tournament just four times since 1994. The school is hoping that Wojnarowski can boost their profile on the recruiting trail. You can’t find their odds at college basketball betting sites just yet, but keep an eye on them at online sportsbooks.
Who Could Replace “Woj” at ESPN?
Of course, there is a huge opening available now at ESPN, and there are various reports as to whom will replace Wojnarowski. The New York Post is one of many reports to have The Athletic’s Shams Charania and TNT’s Chris Haynes at the top of the list. The Big Lead notes that the timing of this announcement is interesting, considering Charania and Haynes both have expiring contracts that are up soon.
The race to break news between Wojnarowski and Charania has been one of the NBA’s more entertaining subplots. Wojnarowski found Charania, who joined him at Yahoo Sports before leaving for The Athletic in August 2018. Charania would be the obvious choice to replace Wojnarowski.
ESPN could also elevate someone in-house, such as Brian Windhorst, who has worked in the NBA for years and also has tons of contacts. But you can find odds at NBA betting sites, such as BetUS, ranking the possible replacements for Wojnarowski. “Woj” changed the game not just for NBA reporters, but sports reporters in general.
