Home/College Basketball

via Imago

via Imago

Adrian Wojnarowski, the source of some of the ultimate “Woj Bombs” in NBA history, has made headlines once more  — not for breaking any stories, but instead, it’s for selling the tools that allowed him to own the sports journalism landscape. By listing old phones, press credentials and assorted memorabilia for sale on the recently launched platform Daps Bounty, he has been met with a firestorm of reaction from fans and former colleagues.

And after he departed ESPN in 2024 — in a move that sent shock waves through the sports world — Wojnarowski assumed a different role at his alma mater. Exchanging a reported $7.3 million annual salary for a humble $75,000 paycheck, Woj reaffirmed that his allegiance to St. Bonaventure eclipsed the comforts of a high-profile career. But what is up with the sudden transformation? 

For smaller schools like St. Bonaventure, the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) era of college sports — in which athletes are able to sign million-dollar deals based on their attractiveness to potential sponsors — has been particularly difficult to navigate. In just 2022 alone, the Bonnies lost four starters to bigger programs that provide better NIL opportunities. Woj has made it his mission to raise money for recruiting and NIL efforts — a uphill task at a school with few monetary resources — in an effort to ward off the trend.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Enter Daps Bounty. The platform lets fans and collectors bid on rare memorabilia and experiences, and Woj has dived right in. Included in the auction are his old iPhones — yes, the very phones he used to drop those infamous Woj Bombs on — and dozens of credentials from the biggest events he covered during his storied career. Part of the revenue will be marketed to benefit St. Bonaventure’s athletics program directly.

via Getty

And while Woj’s intentions are good, the internet has had a blast with his auction. NBA Twitter community that used to revere Wojnarowski and his quick-draw breaking-news skills, has responded with humor and mockery. 

Exploding reactions pour in after Adrian Wojnarowski’s announcement

“leaves ESPN and immediately begins selling his body for money, times are rough out here, call your friends and check in on them” one viral tweet mocked. The over-the-top phrasing gives a hint at how Woj is going out of his way for his alma mater. Another joked, “I guess St. Bonaventure ain’t paying like ESPN”. Pointing to the deep financial gulf between his previous life and his new gig.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What’s your perspective on:

Is Wojnarowski's memorabilia auction a stroke of genius or a sign of the times?

Have an interesting take?

Others were honestly shocked that someone so successful as Wojnarowski would take this path. “I would have never thought Woj was the type to cash in,” one reader comment said, expressing some skepticism about his reputation as a journalist. Others found the whole thing “weird”. But that is not all some pointed “Woj is missing that ESPN check bad omg💔💔💔”.

But away from the jokes, and there’s an undeniable reality: Woj is doing everything possible to get St. Bonaventure competitive in a brutal college sports market. His choice to auction personal memorabilia isn’t simply a means of raising funds. It’s a testament to how far he’ll go for a program that helped shape him in those formative years. And while some fans might see that as weird, or even desperate. Some see it as a brazen form of loyalty.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Adrian Wojnarowski’s latest maneuver is far from ordinary — love it or hate it. Whether fans see this as resourceful, or bizarre, one thing is apparent. Woj is not just breaking news anymore, he’s breaking new ground. In what it means to give back to the game that has blessed him so much in life.

Have something to say?

Let the world know your perspective.

ADVERTISEMENT

0
  Debate

Debate

Is Wojnarowski's memorabilia auction a stroke of genius or a sign of the times?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT