ESPN has announced a multi-year agreement with Shams Charania, naming him its new Senior NBA Insider. Charania's debut appearances across ESPN platforms are set for Thursday, October 10, featuring shows like Get Up, First Take, The Pat McAfee Show, SportsCenter, and NBA Today.
“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," Charania said.
In his new role, Charania will provide news and insights across various ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com, ESPN+, and NBA-specific programs such as *NBA Countdown* and *NBA Today*. He will also contribute to ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Draft.
“Shams is one of the most well-connected and accomplished journalists in sports and we’re proud that he will now call ESPN his home. We’re excited for Shams to join our industry-leading NBA team. We know he’ll make an immediate and positive impact," said Burke Magnus, ESPN President of content.
Charania's experience
Previously, Charania has worked for FanDuel TV, Stadium, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, RealGM, and ChicagoNow. A native of Chicago, he graduated from Loyola University in 2017. As Charania steps into this role, reports indicate that his salary will be around three to four million dollars a year, which is notably less than Adrian Wojnarowski’s reported seven million. Wojnarowski recently left ESPN to become the men's basketball general manager at St. Bonaventure College, creating room in the network’s payroll.
Charania, who began as a writer for the Chicago Bulls at the Chicago Tribune, quickly rose through the ranks in sports journalism. His work at Yahoo Sports caught the attention of Wojnarowski, leading to a competitive yet friendly relationship as they both reported on significant NBA trades.
With his move to ESPN, Pat McAfee has publicly praised Charania, saying, “Shams Charania's the answer. I know there's a conversation happening. But if you take our bias out of this conversation, there's only one answer.”
Adrian aid a goodbye
Adrian Wojnarowski who has been a relentless and prominent name in sports reporting covering famous NBA news from the court and outside the court too made the news all around the corner with a major announcement. Wojnarowski announced that he is all set to retire from the news industry to become general manager of the men’s basketball team at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University. Wojnarowski joined ESPN in 2017 as its senior NBA insider. Before ESPN, he worked for Yahoo Sports for nearly 10 years. He also worked at The Record of New Jersey, The Fresno Bee and The Waterbury (Conn.) Republican-American. He will now mentor the St. Bonaventure coaching staff managing the transfer portal, fundraising and recruiting and more as a general manager.
