ESPN’s decision to lay off Zach Lowe is a slap in the face to NBA fans
Zach Lowe has a strong argument for being the best sportswriter in America right now. Of course, sportswriter only partially describes Lowe’s role at ESPN over the last several years: he’s been a staple on television as a panelist on NBA Today, and he hosts the best podcast covering the league, The Lowe Post. During a time when sports media feels like it’s 80 percent screaming talking heads or objective clickbait, Lowe was able to cover the NBA through an analytical and tactical lens that never felt too pretentious for the everyday fan, while also doing original reporting.
On Thursday, ESPN made the surprising decision to lay off Lowe just weeks ahead of the opening of the 2024-2025 NBA season. I say surprising and not stunning, because: a) ESPN has been laying off a lot of employees lately, b) no one in sports media can claim to have real job security. Still, letting go of someone as talented and popular as Lowe just because he was deservingly paid a high salary is an extremely upsetting decision for the company that claims to be the worldwide leader in sports.
As my old friend Tom Ziller astutely pointed out, ESPN just shelled out billions of dollars to be included in the league’s next media rights deal. You would think a company that has a significant financial interest in getting people excited about the NBA would want to keep around a brilliant yet affable analyst who was always uncovering new things to get excited about around the league. Unfortunately, that would be giving ESPN too much credit.
Lowe is your favorite basketball writer’s favorite basketball writer. A former high school teacher turned crime reporter, Lowe got his big break in sports writing when he was hired to run Sports Illustrated’s Point Forward blog. A couple years later he was hired by Bill Simmons’ legendary Grantland site, where he fully emerged as the NBA’s most essential writer. Lowe was one of the first online basketball writers to break down offensive sets and defensive coverages like a coach would. He has always had a seamless ability to integrate analytics into his writing and podcasting without going over the head of the reader and listener. These days, online basketball writing is filled with many Lowe proteges, though few do it as well as he does.
Lowe never lost his curiosity as he juggled his growing responsibilities at ESPN after Grantland shut down. He is a nerd in the best possible way, diving into the minutiae of the league and the storylines bubbling beneath the surface for all 30 teams. He is also an excellent reporter: his last podcast for ESPN featuring new Los Angeles Lakers coach J.J. Redick was a clinic on how to ask tough questions on the record and force insightful answers out of your subjects (Redick divulged his starting lineup and how he coped with the Lakers’ interest in Danny Hurley, among other topics).
Even as he blew up into a big name with legitimate sources, Lowe still had the heart of an underdog. When he wasn’t bringing current coaches and players on his podcast, he would include a nice mix of big J journalists with upstart bloggers. It was so heartwarming to see him give his large platform to brilliant analysts like Caitlin Cooper, Mike Prada, Nekias Duncan, and Steve Jones over the years. The Lowe Post toed the line between being entertaining and informative without ever feeling like its host had an inflated ego.
On a personal note, I was always thankful Lowe dedicated air time to eulogize my friend Jonathan Tjarks, who tragically passed of cancer two years ago. Lowe used the opening of his podcast to detail what made Tjarks such an incisive writer with a unique eye for the game. I’m certain no one was asking Lowe to do that, but he did it because Tjarks’ life and work deserved more recognition. That’s just the kind of guy Lowe is.
There are too many great Lowe pieces to choose from as a favorite. I fondly recall his breakdown of the Monty Williams-era Phoenix Suns’ devastating pick-and-roll attack, or his deep dive into how the Thunder put the 73-win Warriors on the heels. As Lowe transitioned to doing more podcasting and television, his written breakdowns became a little less frequent. It seemed like he was urged by ESPN to talk about the Los Angeles Lakers or potential offseason movement more often in recent years. One potential silver lining of his ESPN departure is that he may feel more empowered to chase the topics he’s really passionate about at his next home.
ESPN’s decision is infuriating for NBA fans who like smart coverage, but Lowe himself will be fine. He will either quickly land a job covering the league for another outlet, or maybe he’ll join a team’s front office. As a fan of the eternally hopeless Chicago Bulls, let me use this opportunity to beg them to fire Arturas Karnisovas and hire Lowe instead.
ESPN still had plenty of good basketball coverage, but losing Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski in the same offseason is going to hurt. Next time you turn on your television and there’s two talking heads spewing loud nonsense about basketball, just know it didn’t have to be this way.