ESPN baseball correspondent Jeff Passan has humorously brushed off being passed over for the position left vacant by the unexpected retirement of NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski
Wojnarowski had a seven-year tenure at ESPN , where his "Woj bombs" became an integral part of the NBA's storyline, frequently providing the first news on the latest trades and free agency moves.
However, he announced last month that he was ending his journalism career to return to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, as the general manager of the men's basketball program. He has been succeeded by former competitor Shams Charania.
Charania from The Athletic and Passan were quickly identified as leading contenders to fill Wojnarowski's shoes, but Charania's experience in the basketball world having competed with Wojnarowski for years to be the first to break news made him the obvious choice.
"I am honored to join ESPN as the company's Senior NBA Insider," Charania declared on Monday. "I can't wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide."
Passan amused his followers with his response to Charania's appointment. He shared a video clip from Leonardo Di Caprio's "The Wolf of Wall Street" to confirm he was staying in his baseball role, and in a follow-up post he quipped: "Baseball's better anyway."
It remains uncertain when Charania will end his tenure with The Athletic and start his new role with the "worldwide leader". Prior to joining The Athletic, he worked alongside Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports.
Wojnarowski has hit the ground running at the New York-based university, detailing his reasons for leaving ESPN in a heartfelt statement last month. "I grew up the son of a factory worker two miles from ESPN's campus and only ever dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter," he shared. "Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline and I never stopped chasing the thrill of it. This craft transformed my life, but I've decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry.
"He continued, "I understand the commitment required in my role and it's an investment that I'm no longer driven to make. Time isn't in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.
"He expressed deep appreciation, saying, "I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers. No one has benefitted more than me from the belief, trust and generosity of others.
"Reflecting on his tenure, he added, "The past seven years at ESPN have been a particular privilege. I'm appreciative of the company's leadership - especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas - for the understanding and acceptance of my decision to make a life change. After all these years reporting on everyone's teams, I'm headed back to my own. ".
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