Roughly one month after the shocking retirement of longtime NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowki, ESPN has ended its hiring process to find his replacement. After thorough consideration, the company has hired Shams Charania from The Athletic.

After multiple reports claimed that Charania had become ESPN's top option, the reporter broke the news on Oct. 7 through X, formerly Twitter, that he officially signed on to become the next senior NBA insider.

“I am honored to join ESPN as the company's Senior NBA Insider,” Charania tweeted. “I can't wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide.”

Charania, 30, has been working as a credentialed and highly respected NBA reporter for nearly a decade. He joined The Athletic in 2018 from Yahoo Sports and in 2022, he began working with Fanduel TV while remaining with The Athletic.

The signing of Charania to replace Wojnarowski comes as no surprise, as the Pakistani reporter has been widely considered a close second to ‘Woj' when it came to NBA news reporting. Despite being younger and having less experience than his predecessor, Charania is no stranger to breaking key stories in the industry.

Before the finalized decision, ESPN was reportedly considering giving the job to senior NFL insider Adam Schefter and expanding his role to include both sports. The company was also rumored to be looking at Chris Haynes or the possibility of not replacing the legendary journalist at all and using a by-committee approach.

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Shams Charania joins ESPN following Adrian Wojnarowski's retirement

ESPN logo prior to the 2011 Sugar Bowl between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Louisiana Superdome.
Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

Charania's hiring comes after Wojnarowski confirmed in September that he would be walking away from his decorated journalism career for good. Wojnarowski announced with his final ‘Woj bomb' that he accepted a new position as the general manager of St. Bonaventure's basketball program beginning in the upcoming 2024-2025 season. The reporter graduated from the school in 1991.

Wojnarowski signed with ESPN in 2017 after a decade of working as Yahoo Sports' NBA insider. His work within the NBA began long before that but he saw his popularity skyrocket once joining ESPN.