Adrian Wojnarowski left his ESPN NBA insider job earlier this 12 months to take a gig as the brand new common supervisor for the boys’s basketball group at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure. Within the course of, Woj took a pay reduce from the $6.5 million per 12 months to $75K. Why would he do it? Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, a detailed good friend of Woj, acquired the within scoop in top-of-the-line items of sportswriting you’ll learn this 12 months.
Nice characteristic writing typically comes all the way down to what number of particulars you may uncover, and Mannix acquired a bunch of untamed ones. The most important was the revelation that Woj was identified with prostate most cancers in March. Across the similar time, former ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen handed away from throat most cancers. As Woj traveled to his funeral in Arkansas, he was struck by the variety of Mort’s former colleagues who didn’t make it. It led to this grim little bit of knowledge that’s too good to not spotlight.
Many ESPNers made the journey to Arkansas. What Woj was struck by was what number of didn’t. “It made me do not forget that the job isn’t all the things,” Woj says. “Ultimately it’s simply going to be your loved ones and shut mates. And it’s additionally, like, no person offers a s—. No person remembers [breaking stories] in the long run. It’s simply vapor.”
That is proper up there with Mike Tyson’s nihilist quotes to a baby reporter forward of his Jake Paul battle on the subject of framing the that means of life.
Woj is 55 years outdated, and has made a lot more cash than any sportswriter can moderately dream of. What he wished at this level of his life was to get a while again for himself, for his household, and for his alma mater. For as irritating as Woj’s newsbreaking job was, the concept of serving to a middling A-10 program compete within the NIL period positive doesn’t sound like a stroll within the park. For Woj, there’s nonetheless love in his work, and that makes all of the distinction.
Woj despatched out this tweet after the story went viral:
Respect all the type phrases and concern however I’m going to be superb. My objective in sharing a prostate most cancers prognosis is to encourage screening and testing amongst males. Early prognosis will make all of the distinction for me —- and plenty of others too. https://t.co/7xiGfC5RNw
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 5, 2024
The Bonnies are off to an 8-1 begin this season underneath head coach Mark Schmidt, who has been put in since 2007. With Woj now serving as his proper hand man, St. Bonaventure males’s basketball simply grew to become much more fascinating.
Whether or not the Bonnies finally discover March Insanity glory or not, Woj’s coronary heart is in the appropriate place. He is aware of what actually issues, even when it is perhaps slightly bit miserable to contemplate.
