“I have decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry.”
Just a few words, but it caused huge ripples in the sports media industry.
Adrian Wojnarowski, known as the “King of Breaking News” because he can often accurately predict news before trades and drafts, sent his last breaking news in the ESP basketball news circle, that he will retire.
Why does the retirement of a reporter cause such a big reaction from everyone? Let’s talk about Woj’s story.
A media person born in a car factory
“I was born two miles from ESPN headquarters.”
“Growing up as the son of a factory worker.”
“I have always dreamed of making a living as a sports reporter.”
Woj was born in Bristol, Connecticut, which happened to be in the same town as ESPN. When he was ten years old, ESPN, which would become one of the most famous sports media in the United States, aired their first program. Since then, ESPN has gradually become an iconic presence in the small town of Bristol.
“It wasn’t long before everyone in the sports world heard about ESPN,” Woj recalled in a later column. “It also means they’ve heard of Bristol, Connecticut, and even think of this place when they think about sports. No matter where you go, when you tell people you’re from Bristol, they My first reaction is always, ‘Oh, ESPN!’”
When Woj was a child, he would start the morning with ESPN’s “SportsCenter”. Growing up in this small town, Woj would occasionally meet some hosts on the sports field who could only be seen on TV. Perhaps it was in such a strong sports atmosphere. , quietly cultivated Woj’s interest in sports media, and also confirmed his desire to become a sports reporter.
“Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me an opportunity.”
“Since then, I have been enjoying the thrill of this job.”
However, although Woj has been the most loyal audience since ESPN started broadcasting, he did not work at ESPN as soon as he graduated. After all, he was only a college graduate at the time, and it was difficult for him to enter the already well-known ESPN as soon as he graduated. He worked for a newspaper called the Hartford Courant, which is now the largest daily newspaper in Connecticut, and is billed as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.
At the age of 25, Woj went to interview with the Fresno Bee for a chance to cover the Fresno State basketball team. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, the Bee gave him an opportunity to write a sports column. Woj wrote there for two years and officially embarked on the road of columnist. Later, he also began to contribute to ESPN. According to statistics, Woj wrote more than 100 columns for ESPN from 1999 to 2006.
At that time, he may not have expected that he and this company would have a relationship as intricate as a drama in the future.
From columnist to WojBombs shaking up the NBA
In 2007, Woj officially left the newspaper industry and quit his column job at ESPN to join YAHOO Sports. The reason why he made this decision was mainly because of ESPN. After all, in that era when television and the Internet were booming, everyone could watch the highlights of the game and professional commentary programs immediately after the game. Who would have the patience to wait? What about the newspaper column for the next day?
Woj realized that readers were more eager for “instant” and “exclusive” news than columns with professional but highly homogeneous content. This made him determined to join online media. In the following years, he not only continued to write columns, but also actively expanded his network of contacts in the NBA as a reporter.
“Woj built YAHOO Sports.”
“YAHOO Sports didn’t make him.”
During his time at YAHOO Sports, Woj turned his focus to news flashes and learned how to seize the opportunity in the highly competitive news field. The gradually formed network of contacts also made Woj a leader in the sports reporting industry, and he will continue to do so from the beginning. Publish a formally written press release on the website, and later, for faster speed, Woj also began to publish content on his own Twitter.
And by the 2011 NBA draft, Woj ushered in his battle for fame.
“I just signed a player and I haven’t even announced it yet and I can already hear the cheers outside the office.”
“Because they saw Woj posted a tweet announcing it.”
“I was still on the phone with the other agent’s agent discussing the details, but Woj already knew about it.”