Why did Adrian Wojnarowski retire from ESPN and what will he do now?

In a move that is sure to be analysed countless times before the dust settles, one of ESPN’s biggest personalities has decided to call time on his career with the network. As for the reason why, it may be surprising to some but ultimately, makes sense.

Adrian Wojnarowski says goodbye to ESPN

Wednesday morning was anything but typical at ESPN. Though one of the network’s highest-rated analysts, Adrian Wojnarowski, did what he normally does i.e., break the news, he did so with a shocking twist in that the top NBA pundit announced that he would be retiring from his post. In a statement released on social media, Wojnarowski thanked ESPN and all who supported him throughout his career before explaining what all of it meant to him.

“I grew up the son of a factory worker two miles from ESPN’s campus and only ever dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline and I never stopped chasing the thrill of it all. This 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.”

Continuing, Wojnarowski spoke about his feelings as brings a chapter of his life to a close. “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. The past seven years at ESPN have been a particular privilege. I’m appreciative of the company’s leadership-especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas- for the understanding and acceptance of my decision to make a life change. After all these years reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m headed back to my own.”

Regarding what comes next for the man they call “Woj”, it wasn’t long after his announcement that several of his now-former ESPN colleagues reported that Wojnarowski had agreed to join the St. Bonaventure basketball program as the general manager. Indeed, the school itself confirmed the news in a statement of its own before Wojnarowski gave his own, addressing the emotion involved in returning to his alma mater. “I’m thrilled and humbled to return to St. Bonaventure with an opportunity to serve the university, Coach Mark Schmidt and our elite Atlantic 10 men’s basketball program,” Wojnarowski said. “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.”

Now, as one can imagine, this is a major development in the world of NBA coverage. Along with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Wojnarowski is widely regarded as the best in the business and that’s been the case for quite some time. Truthfully, it’s been quite a journey for a man who started his journalistic path working for the Hartford Courant in high school. From there he would go on to write for the Fresno Bee as a columnist following his graduation from college in 1995. Shortly thereafter, he would join The Record in 1997 where he stayed for a decade. Then, came the big moves. In 2007, Wojnarowski joined Yahoo and it was there that he became known as a top-tier newsbreaker in basketball. After 10 years with Yahoo, it was time for another move and so in 2017, he joined ESPN where he became the Adrian Wojnawoski we know today. We can only wish the Woj all the best.