Adrian Wojnarowski's 7 biggest Woj bombs as famed NBA reporter retires from ESPN
It’s the end of an era in the NBA and journalism.
Long-time league insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced his retirement on Wednesday morning, stunning sports fans everywhere just two weeks before training camps opened across the league.
Wojnarowski will remain in the sports world, however, as he returns to his alma mater St. Bonaventure to serve as the general manager of the men’s basketball team.
The 55-year-old’s post on Twitter/X was the Woj Bomb to end all Woj Bombs. A truly seismic shift felt not just across the sport of basketball, but sports and media in general.
Leave it to the man who made breaking trade and free agency news an art form to paint his masterpiece at the very end.
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— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 18, 2024
So as Woj heads off to conquer college basketball, it’s only right to remember some of his best breaking news “bombs” of all-time.
The NBA Suspends 2019-2020 Season Due To Covid-19
The NBA has suspended the season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
For many people, the Covid-19 pandemic officially began on March 11, 2020. That was the day Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they had contracted the virus and the NBA halted the tipoff of the Oklahoma City Thunder contest against the Utah Jazz after Rudy Gobert tested positive.
Hours later, the whole league ground to a halt with Woj breaking the news the NBA was suspending all games indefinitely.
Play would resume later that summer in the Orlando Bubble, but the uncertainty and shock of the moment on March 11 was one that still feels palpable. The live reaction from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban pretty much summed up the whole evening.
Oklahoma City Trades Paul George To Los Angeles Clippers
Oklahoma City is trading All-Star Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for a record-setting collection of draft choices, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
If you didn’t have push notifications on for Woj tweets before July 6, 2019, you sure did after.
The NBA universe was split in two that night between those who were processing the 1:00 a.m. blockbuster deal and those who didn’t find out until they checked their phones in the morning.
NBA Commissioner David Stern Kills Chris Paul-Lakers Trade
NBA owners have pushed commissioner David Stern to kill the deal sending Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 9, 2011
The Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and then-New Orleans Hornets had a three-team deal in place that would send Chris Paul to the Lakers ultimately — and shockingly — blocked by NBA commissioner David Stern in December 2011. Wojnarowski was all over it.
The NBA owned the Hornets at the time the deal was worked out and Stern believed New Orleans was better off retaining Paul.
This led to one of the more fascinating domino effects in league history as Paul was eventually sent to the Los Angeles Clippers three days later.
LeBron James Signs With Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James has agreed to 4-year, $154M deal with Lakers, Klutch Sports says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2018
There was no ESPN special or Sports Illustrated cover story for LeBron James’ decision to leave Cleveland (again) for the Lakers. Just a Woj Bomb at dinner time that made the NBA lose it’s mind (again).
NBA Bans Clippers Owner Donald Sterling For Life
The NBA will ban Donald Sterling for life, source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 29, 2014
The Donald Sterling saga — and really his entire stewardship of the Clippers — was a black eye for the NBA, but when it finally came to an end it was Woj getting the news out minutes before commissioner Adam Silver had a chance to announce it.
This was a massive moment for the NBA, Woj and Silver, who had taken over for Stern less than three months earlier.
Oklahoma City Trades James Harden to Houston
Oklahoma City has traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 28, 2012
Two days before the 2012-13 NBA season began, Woj dropped one of the most Earth-shattering trade announcements as OKC dealt James Harden within the Western Conference to Houston just months after falling to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.
Brooklyn Nets make a ‘Clean Sweep’
Brooklyn is making a clean sweep tonight: Brooklyn will sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
NBA free agency was set to open at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, 2019. Two hours earlier the biggest moves had already been announced with Woj tweeting out the Brooklyn Nets had signed arguably the three biggest names on the market at the time: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan.
It may have been the best moment of that Nets era.