“Woj’s worst nightmare would have been Shams breaking the news of his retirement.” This revelation by FOS’ Michael McCarthy reminded NBA fans of the major competition that existed between Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, one final time. Starting out as a mentor-mentee at Yahoo, their bond soon turned competitive to see who would break news first, be it about any trades, contract extensions, acquisitions, etc. With Woj now retired and Shams without major competition, ESPN has filled the gap by taking in the latter as a senior NBA insider. While Stephen A. Smith is welcoming his new colleague, he is not doing so at the expense of Woj!

The 56-year-old sportscaster touched base on Shams Charania joining ESPN. Right from the start, Smith paid tribute, by stating, “There is only one Woj” and by highlighting him as a friend and a model professional of the industry. The only reason why he chose to begin his segment by highlighting Woj and not Shams, as he indicated, is because he still needs to get acquainted with the new hire.

“I don’t know Shams Charania,” Stephen A. Smith admitted. Less than a few seconds later, however, he added, “Here’s what I will tell you about him. He’s one of the best in the business, and if there was an ideal replacement for Adrian Wojnarowski. It is him. The man has his contacts, he has his sources, he knows what he’s talking about, he’s very well connected.”

“He’s young, but he puts in the work, he gets on his grind, and he does what’s necessary to be that guy. There was no greater competitor to Woj in the business in the modern era than Shams Charania,” he said on The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube.

The NBA analyst believes that Shams joining ESPN “is something that I welcome, that I think we all should welcome, and I’m looking forward to welcoming him as the newest member of the ESPN family. Congrats to him. Long overdue, well-deserved. Nobody comes before Woj in my mind but this brother right here… I think you’ve seen him on several occasions on the Pat McAfee show throughout the years now you’ll see him gracing the airwaves of… other shows on ESPN”

Stephen A. Smith’s current remarks come just a few days after he became one of the first people from ESPN to react to Woj’s exit. Less than an hour after the 55-year-old dropped a final ‘Woj Bomb’ by announcing his own retirement, his co-worker 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!”

Later on, during a segment of ‘First Take’, both Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim honored their former colleague, with phrases like “best in the business” and “respected”. The clip caught the attention of Adrian Wojnarowski himself, who replied online by writing, “Thank you @stephenasmith and @MollyQerim. Best of the best.”

Stephen A. Smith is someone who has shared his opinions on relatively everything that trends in America, from US Politics to criticism around any NBA player. However, he hasn’t had much to say about Shams Charania before today’s welcome. Therefore, this is a sign that the duo can make things work. Especially when Adrian Wojnarowski himself has given his blessings.

Keeping professional rivalry aside, Adrian Wojnarowski endorses Shams Charania’s shift to ESPN: “I wish him the best”

Upon announcing his retirement, Adrian Wojnarowski had done something that may have taken many NBA fans some time to adjust to: a period of silence. However, he did make an appearance recently with Jim Rowe for an interview. Touching base on his mentee-turned-competitor, Woj revealed that Shams Charania texted him immediately after the retirement announcement.

Now, with the job update, Adrian wanted to reciprocate the same message that was sent to him. “I hope he has as fulfilling and as rewarding of a career as I’ve had, and I certainly wish that for him,” said the 55-year-old. He revealed that the colleagues he worked with at ESPN were among the things that made his experience all the better.

With the same teammates now working alongside Shams, Woj further added, “I wish him the best. And he’s got a great team around him at ESPN.” The former news personality seems to be content in his role as the General Manager of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team. Meanwhile, Charania has already started taking over the ‘breaking news’ spectrum by highlighting Karl-Anthony Towns trade, along with extension deals of Pelicans‘ point guard Jose Alvarado, Magic center/power forward Wendell Carter Jr., etc.

While ‘Woj Bombs’ will be missed for some time, the shift in dynamic is something that NBA fans may eventually get adjusted to.

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