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Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the NBA world when he announced his retirement from being ESPN's NBA insider in September 2024. Woj has broken some of the biggest news in the NBA, and he decided that it was time to let it go and do something more fulfilling in his life. In a recent interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Woj opened up more about his personal life and shared the medical scare that he had.
“Last February, Wojnarowski went in for a physical,” Mannix wrote. “Blood tests revealed an elevated PSA, or prostate-specific antigen. His doctor sent him for an MRI. Nothing showed up. He took another PSA test. Still high. This time the doctor recommended a biopsy, which in March revealed early-stage cancer. He learned the news minutes before a remote appearance on NBA Countdown. Head foggy, he did the hit.
Woj mentioned in the story that the prognosis is good, and though it didn't lead him to leave ESPN, it brought clarity to his life.
“He has no symptoms and says the cancer is ‘pretty limited in scope.' Active surveillance is the current treatment, which translates to quarterly checkups and regular monitoring,” Mannix wrote. “He’s been instructed to improve his eating habits, exercise more and get better sleep. Surgery is still a possibility, but for now doctors say the only reason to have it is if he can’t mentally deal with having the cancer inside him.”
It's great that Woj was able to be vulnerable with many people and share something personal in his life, and hopefully, his story can motivate others.
Why Adrian Wojnarowski stepped down from insider role
In his feature with Sports Illustrated, Adrian Wojnarowski shared why he decided to leave ESPN, and it seemed like an easy answer.
“So why quit? Some of it, Woj says, is easy to explain. There was no conspiracy,” Mannix wrote. “He wasn’t forced out. Wasn’t threatened with a pay cut. At 55, he was simply burned out. Insiders are the most well-compensated journalists. But the hours are brutal. Holidays, birthdays, barbecues—all threatened by the pursuit of a transaction.”
Woj's job got in the middle of his personal life, which probably waned down on him after a while. He had been doing this for a long time, and it was time for him to do something that wouldn't bring stress or overtake his life. Woj is now the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team, and he may be feeling happier and more fulfilled than he has in a minute.
Shams Charania has taken over Woj's job as the NBA insider for ESPN, and he has plenty of experience after coming from The Athletic doing the same work for them.
