Former NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reportedly walks away from $20 million
Adrian Wojnarowski arguably dropped his last Woj bomb when he announced Wednesday he was leaving ESPN and the world of journalism behind for more 'meaningful' pursuits.
The Hartford native expressed his gratitude to fans and colleagues at ESPN in a lengthy statement he posted on his personal X account.
Wojnaroswki explained his reasons for leaving his job as ESPN's premier insider in the statement:
"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."
According to Andrew Marchand, the Hartford native is walking away from around $20 million on his contract. He had signed a five-year contract worth $35 million in 2022.
Wojnarowski joined ESPN in 2017 from Yahoo! Sports right before the start of free agency as a senior insider, contributing to various programs including SportsCenter, NBA Countdown and Get Up.
He won the National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019.
Adrian Wojnarowski becomes GM of St. Bonaventure Basketball
Wojnarowski has left ESPN to return to his alma mater as the general manager of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.
"He's the GM of St. Bonaventure and will have a hand in whether or not the Atlantic 10 can remain a multi-bid league moving forward" - Jon Rothstein
A challenging task awaits the St. Bonaventure alumnus but Wojnarowski expressed his excitement to get started as the front office leader:
"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.
"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."
He has previously shadowed the current national champions, UConn Huskies coach Danny Hurley as the writer of the book, "The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty."