Wojnarowski leaving ESPN to become St. Bonaventure GM

Adrian Wojnarowski, the longtime NBA reporter who has worked at ESPN since 2017, announced Wednesday that he’s retiring from ESPN and the news industry as a whole.

“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.”

While Wojnarowski’s statement didn’t include any details on the next phase of his career, his fellow news-breakers at ESPN — Adam Schefter (NFL), Jeff Passan (MLB) and Pete Thamel (NCAAF) — reported that Woj has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater.

The school confirmed the news in a press release, indicating that Wojnarowski’s responsibilities in his new role will include “name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities and a liaison with collectives; transfer portal management; recruit, family and alumni player relationships; professional player programs; and program fundraising.”

While Wojnarowski has been a regular presence on ESPN’s NBA broadcasts and studio programming over the past seven years, he’s best known for having been the league’s most prominent news-breaker for well over a decade. 

The term “Woj bomb” was coined to describe Wojnarowski’s scoops on X, where he and former protege Shams Charania have battled over the years to be the first to report the NBA’s biggest trades, signings and other news.