Charlie Brown once said, “Goodbye always makes my throat hurt.” Although one cannot always relate to a comic-strip character, adieus are certainly something not many look forward to. It was Adrian Wojnarowski’s turn to initiate the act recently, as he announced his retirement not only from ESPN but from reporting as a whole! Having devoted over 7 years of his career alongside a dynamic crew consisting of the viral Stephen A. Smith and reputed host Malika Andrews, one would have expected the 55-year-old to go deep while thanking his colleagues for the memories. However, in classic Woj fashion, he kept everything short and direct.

Yesterday, as Adrian Wojnarowski made his retirement announcement online, both Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim took to First Take to pay tribute to the renowned journalist. With phrases like “best in the business” and “respected” used by Smith, Adrian seemed to be touched, as he highlighted the moment online and wrote, “Thank you @stephenasmith and @MollyQerim. Best of the best.”

Woj also highlighted a segment in which Malika Andrews and Adam Schefter touched base on his impact on the industry. Here too, the veteran analyst didn’t choose to say much, just remarking, “Love this crew. Thank you superstars.”

Wojnarowski announced his retirement in his classic fashion: taking to X and making the update public before anyone else. The abrupt nature of this announcement made more sense after a source revealed: “Woj’s worst nightmare would have been Shams breaking the news of his retirement.”

While he had the courtesy of informing his bosses over at ESPN first, Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus were still “surprised” that Woj wanted to quit. But according to The Athletic, he made it clear that this job had him- “completely burned out from the incessant news breaking that required him to be on his phone nearly 24/7.” With the NBA season set to commence, “only having 3 hours of sleep per night to keep up with the latest transactions and information” was something he dreaded, no matter the huge paycheck that came.

You know that you certainly meant a lot as a co-worker if you could get the ultimate level of praise out of Stephen A. Smith. Less than an hour after Woj’s announcement, the sportscaster himself took to X and wrote, “Devastated! What a loss for us here at ESPN. The absolute best in the business, my man @wojespn. I’m gonna miss you, Buddy!”

The hoops critic added on to the community’s praise during the First Take segment by stating “To be around him and… to be able to touch on a wealth of knowledge that he’s had in all of his years covering the league. The contacts that he has, the inside information that he’s had. He’s led this place for quite a long time. As you well know, there are many, many occasions when we won’t even go on air and report something, unless we hear from Woj first.”

With Stephen A. Smith, Malika Andrews, and other hosts now preparing for the season, Woj will take it a bit easy in his new role.

Where is Adrian Wojnarowski now?

Adrian Wojnarowski is retiring from ESPN and news reporting, but he is not bidding adieu to basketball so easily. The former insider is now set to take up the General Manager position with the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team. The University, located in New York, is Woj’s alma mater from which he graduated in 1991. He has also kept a close tie with the basketball program there for quite some years, including serving as a fundraiser for the college’s collective.

When highlighting the reasons for leaving the network, it was reported, “He thought he could have gone on for one more season, but the St. Bonaventure job excited him in a way that news breaking no longer did.” In a statement, Woj revealed that returning to his alma-mater is “a thrill of a lifetime.”

With the NBA having been a major part of his life for several decades, the National Sportswriter award winner is now ready to try out different things, using his hoops knowledge. The program over at St. Bonaventure provides just that opportunity, as the new General Manager would be responsible for managing tasks like handling the name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for players, serving as a liaison with collectives, recruit and foster family and alumni player relationships, etc.

“I’m hopeful to share with members of our community some best practices learned from the most successful franchises and minds in the NBA and committed to opening doors globally for our players both on and off the court,” Woj added.

Only time will tell just how well the 55-year-old will adjust in his new role. After all, while Adrian Wojnarowski was successful in fostering a good relationship with everyone during his 7-year tenure at ESPN, a new change brings new responsibilities.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.