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In a stunning turn of events, ESPN lost arguably the best basketball insider in media on Wednesday.
Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he is leaving ESPN after seven years with the company:
Wojnarowski will turn his attention to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, where he has agreed to become general manager of the school’s basketball program:
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Wojnarowski is “walking away from around $20M.”
Marchand also reported that Wojnarowski informed his bosses Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus of his decision to leave ESPN on Wednesday morning and a source told him they were “surprised” by the move. Pitaro released a statement saying they “completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit.”
Wojnarowski graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1991. According to a release, his role as general manager will feature a wide range of responsibilities, “including name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities and as a liaison with collectives; transfer portal management; recruit, family and alumni player relationships; professional player programs; and program fundraising.”
“In these changing times of college sports, I’m eager to join a championship program that combines high-level basketball, national television exposure, pro preparation and NIL opportunities with an intimate, supportive educational environment,” Wojnarowski said in the release. “… I’m hopeful to share with members of our community some best practices learned from the most successful franchises and minds in the NBA and committed to opening doors globally for our players both on and off the court.”
After working at Yahoo Sports since 2007, Wojnarowski joined ESPN in 2017 and was the anchor of the network’s NBA coverage. His insights and league connections allowed him to be one of the best breaking news sources in any sport.
Wojnarowski’s biggest competitor, Shams Charania, could be a free agent soon, as it was reported earlier this summer that his contracts with The Athletic and FanDuel TV are set to expire soon.