Talk about a Woj Bomb.
Do you know what that is? If you’re a sports fan, particularly a fan of the NBA, you know all about Woj Bombs. They are breaking basketball news reports from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. During the NBA season, they show up regularly — at all hours of the day and night — on X, and the ticker across the bottom of your screen while you’re watching ESPN.
On Wednesday, Wojnarowski dropped the biggest Woj Bomb of all. He announced he is stepping away from his high-profile and highly lucrative job at ESPN.
One of sports journalism’s biggest stars is taking back his life.
In his post on X, Wojnarowski wrote, “The craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. 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.”
Wojnarowski, 55, isn’t retiring altogether. He’s taking a job in the athletic department of his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University.
But he is walking away from ESPN with three years and $20 million left on his contract. Yes, you read that right: $20 million. Many, including ESPN, would argue that he is worth every penny of the $7 million a year he was making.
Why walk away from that kind of dough?
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Richard Deitsch, C.J. Moore and Alex Andrejev wrote, “Wojnarowski told his bosses that with the NBA season around the corner, the thought of only having three hours of sleep per night to keep up with the latest transactions and information was unappealing. He thought he could have gone on for one more season, but the St. Bonaventure job excited him in a way that news breaking no longer did.”
Stepping away also will allow him to have something that resembles a normal life. Like many of ESPN’s insiders, Wojnarowski worked around the clock. He was on call 24/7, rarely taking time off and earning the reputation of one of the hardest-working reporters in the business.
Even those in sports media marveled at Wojnarowski’s relentless work ethic, and many (including this former sportswriter) wondered how sustainable it was.
The Washington Post’s Ben Strauss wrote, “Wojnarowski helped shape the landscape of sports media in the digital age. With the explosion of Twitter nearly two decades ago, every NBA reporter could suddenly compete for every piece of news — and Wojnarowski excelled at delivering those nuggets to fans. He turned those scoops into an enormous influence on league business. His reports helped set the league’s agenda, and owners asked his advice on hires. Wojnarowski was often described by people across the NBA as one of the most powerful people in the league because of his access to information and his ability to horse trade with it.”
Strauss added, “While Wojnarowski’s influence is unquestioned, he could be a polarizing figure. Admirers marveled at his work ethic, his relationship-building and his seeming monopoly on breaking news. … Critics — including other reporters — accused him of favoring and protecting his best sources in exchange for information.”
Wojnarowski’s work wasn’t limited to just Woj Bombs in tweets to his 6.5 million X followers. He wrote detailed stories and was a regular on TV during the season, as well as the NBA Draft.
ESPN was surprised by Wojnarowski’s sudden announcement, according to The Athletic. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said, “While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit.”
It really is a major blow to ESPN.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith tweeted, “Devastated! What a loss for us here at ESPN. The absolute best in the business, my man @wojespn. I’m gonna miss you, Buddy!”
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg tweeted, “No one ever has or ever could do a job in this industry better than our dear friend. Congratulations on one of the great runs of all time, and very best wishes for good luck in this exciting new chapter.”
And there’s no one who can relate more to Wojnarowski than ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who is the NFL version of, well, Wojnarowski.
Appearing on ESPN “NBA Today,” Schefter said, “He wanted his life back. He didn’t want to have to work on holidays. He didn’t want to be away from more family gatherings. He didn’t want to have to … take a shower with your phone up against the shower door so you can see a text that’s coming in or take your phone with you to the urinal and hold it in one hand while you take care of your business in the other. That’s the life that we live. And that was the life that we chose not to do any longer because it takes over your life.”
So where does ESPN go from here? Wojnarowski’s chief competitor has been Shams Charania, who has deals with The Athletic, Stadium and FanDuel. The New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel reported earlier this summer that Charania’s deals with those outlets were almost up and that he would become a free agent.
According to his sources, Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported that ESPN will likely talk with Charania and former ESPNer Chris Haynes.
But the NBA season won’t be the same without the Woj Bombs.
