While it is not exactly a huge surprise, but Shams Charania will replace his former mentor Adrian Wojnarowski as the lead NBA insider at ESPN.
Charania, alongside some interesting internal candidates who already worked for the company, was immediately considered a frontrunner for the position once Woj had shockingly announced he was retiring from sports media to instead work as a general manager for the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team.
In the aftermath of Woj stepping away from his duties as a reporter, Charania was the obvious choice as his successor and was the first to break some of the biggest stories in recent weeks — including the Karl-Anthony Towns trade to the New York Knicks.
I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s Senior NBA Insider. I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide. pic.twitter.com/sBDFGIpkb6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 7, 2024
Charania will have the same position title that Woj had while at ESPN.
During his time at The Athletic, meanwhile, Charania made very frequent appearance alongside Pat McAfee on ESPN’s television broadcasting.
Even if the hiring of Charania is not particularly stunning, it is still an important decision from all parties involved and one that will impact many people across the sports media industry as well as basketball fans around the world.
