Reaching the pinnacle of insider knowledge is an exhausting role, something evident in the case of veteran NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowski. He shocked the basketball community on Wednesday with the announcement of his retirement from ESPN.
According to an extensive report from The Athletic, Woj expressed that he was stepping away due to burnout, walking away from approximately $20 million left on his contract that had nearly three years remaining, valued at around $7 million per year.
At 55, Wojnarowski will be returning to his roots at St. Bonaventure, taking on the role of General Manager for the men’s basketball team— a significant shift from the nonstop cycle of insider reporting.
As reported by Andrew Marchand, Richard Deitsch, C.J. Moore, and Alex Andrejev of The Athletic, Woj spoke with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and president of content Burke Magnus on Wednesday morning, who were taken aback by his decision.
Wojnarowski informed his ESPN leaders that he felt completely drained from the constant demand for breaking news, which often kept him glued to his phone almost around the clock.
This situation is certainly relatable, as Wojnarowski has been living a high-pressure lifestyle that few can fathom. This sacrifice comes with the territory of being at the forefront of the industry, a reality captured by ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan.
“I’m basically a slave to it. That’s just how it is,” Passan shared in a 2022 sports media podcast. “Each week, I check my screen time, and honestly, I question myself, ‘What are you doing?’ No, for real. Is this worth it? What’s your life turning into?”
These seem to be the very questions Wojnarowski has now pondered and addressed.
“Wojnarowski shared with his supervisors that as the NBA season approaches, the idea of surviving on merely three hours of sleep each night to stay updated on the latest trades and developments was not appealing,” noted The Athletic report. “He believed he could have continued for another season, but the opportunity at St. Bonaventure sparked a passion in him that breaking news no longer did.”
