38 years! That’s how long Adrian Wojnarowski worked in the sports media sphere. After years of breaking news, the biggest one dropped in September when he announced he was done with dropping Woj Bombs. Staying close to his loved ones was his priority rather than chasing hoop stories. But life is a mean machine and Adrian Wojnarowski experienced that in the worst way possible.

Earlier today, Chris Mannix broke the news about Wojnarowski being diagnosed with prostate cancer. While in the early stage, the somber update is not the sort of news one associates with the former media veteran. In the interview with Mannix, a lot of unknown stories were unboxed. But there’s always a dark side of the moon and so was in Woj’s glorified NBA job.

According to Mannix, holidays, birthdays, barbeques — everything was threatened by Woj’s lifestyle. In plain words, he missed his family. Last year, when Wojnarowski was covering DeMarcus Cousins’ injury, his wife, Amy, asked him if she would be big news for him someday. When Amy planned a vacation, Woj called his son, Ben to consult, and the result was blunt. “People think your job is great. I think your job f**king sucks. Retire and go travel with mom,” was the answer when the former ESPN employee consulted his son about retirement.

The family got their wish, and now it’s time for them to be stronger than ever. Last February, Wojnarowski went in for a physical check-up and blood tests revealed an elevated PSA, or prostate-specific antigen. The MRI showed nothing so he took another PSA test. This time the doctor recommended a biopsy, which in March revealed early-stage prostate cancer. Despite the tough revelation, this was never the reason for him leaving ESPN.

Adrian Wojnarowski details his cancer situation and the immediate aftermath of learning the truth

When Wojnarowski got to know about the abominable truth, he was getting ready for an appearance on the NBA countdown. With the news buried deep inside him, he went on to unravel and discuss other news around the NBA world. When James Pitaro, ESPN chairman learned of Woj’s decision to leave, he offered him a chance to return to his writing days as a columnist. But that didn’t matter to St. Bonaventure Men’s basketball team’s general manager. Nor did matter the $20 million ESPN owed him.

His heart was set on the place where he met his wife Amy. Since then, she has been with Woj despite his working commitments. And now she’ll be there, the toughest challenge the couple had to face. “It made me remember that the job isn’t everything,” Woj told Mannix. “In the end it’s just going to be your family and close friends. And it’s also, like, nobody gives a s—. Nobody remembers [breaking stories] in the end. It’s just vapor.”

For now, the 55-year-old will be under active surveillance, regular monitoring and quarterly check-ups. A better diet and sleep will also help his cause, with surgery still a possibility. Certainly, the whole of the basketball world is hoping for Woj Bomb when he reports his freedom from cancer for good.