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Stephen A. Smith Reacts to Adrian Wojnarowski's Sudden Departure From ESPN

The ESPN personality is disappointed by the NBA insider's departure from the network.

Mike McDaniel

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is disappointed, but happy for colleague Adrian Wojnarowski on his retirement from NBA reporting.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is disappointed, but happy for colleague Adrian Wojnarowski on his retirement from NBA reporting. / Quinn Harris-Imagn Images

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was as shocked as the rest of the NBA world by Adrian Wojnarowski's surprise retirement as a reporter, as Wojnarowski now moves into a new field of basketball administration as the new general manager of St. Bonaventure men's basketball.

Smith has worked closely with Wojnarowski over the years in their NBA coverage with the network, and Smith, while disappointed, couldn't be happier for his colleague and friend.

"I've gotten to know Woj over the last couple of years working on NBA Countdown. He's the best in the business, make no mistake about it," Smith said. "Nobody's more well-connected, nobody's more well-respected. To be around him and to be able to touch on a wealth of knowledge that he's had in all his years covering the league, the context that he has, the inside information that he's had... He's led this place for quite a long time. There are many, many occasions where we won't go on the air and report something unless we hear from Woj first. He's meant that much to this place. He's a part of this institution...the best in the business, absolutely exceptional, a high-end professional, he's got my profound respect. ...I'm happy for him, but I'm sad for us as a network because it's a devastating loss for us not to have him."

Wojnarowski, a 1991 graduate of St. Bonaventure, will now move on to a different stage of his professional career while still being intimately involved with the game of basketball. ESPN's loss is college basketball's gain.

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Mike McDaniel

MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.

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