Shams Charania has officially joined ESPN, replacing the legendary Adrian Wojnarowski, who’s now off doing what every successful NBA insider apparently dreams of—managing a college basketball team. But here’s where things get spicy: Charania’s salary at ESPN is, well, let’s just say “striking” compared to Woj’s jaw-dropping paycheck. Woj was raking in a casual seven million dollars a year (yes, you read that right), while Shams is settling for a humble three to four million. How Charania will survive on that chump change, we may never know.
Wojnarowski, affectionately known as “Woj,” decided he’d had enough of dropping insider bombs and instead opted for a gig at St. Bonaventure College—because nothing screams “I’ve made it in the NBA” like running a college basketball program. While Woj was busy packing his bags, ESPN was busy saving millions. But Charania won’t be seeing much of that extra cash. In fact, he’s looking at a paycheck not far off from what he was earning over at The Athletic, according to John Ourand. Well, at least he’s still making enough to pay for premium cable.
“I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s Senior NBA Insider,” Shams posted to X.com (formerly Twitter, for those still living under a rock) on October 7. You could almost hear the echoes of Woj, sitting somewhere on a college campus, sipping coffee and chuckling at the thought of Charania taking his old desk. “I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide.” Translation: I’m not getting Woj money, but at least I’ll get some airtime.
A McAfee Endorsement and a Rise from Bulls to Bucks
Charania’s career trajectory is the stuff of “started from the bottom, now we here” legend. He kicked things off as a humble Chicago Bulls writer, likely covering more Derrick Rose injuries than he’d care to remember. Fast forward to now, and he’s become the NBA’s new scoop king. From covering Dwight Howard’s fateful move to the Atlanta Hawks (yes, that actually happened) to beating everyone in reporting the first three picks of the 2023 NFL draft, Charania has been lighting up the rumor mill with blazing speed.
Even Pat McAfee, the outspoken sports talk juggernaut, is all-in on Shams. “Shams Charania’s the answer,” McAfee declared with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for touchdown celebrations. And in the world of sports media, that’s about as close as you get to a standing ovation. “I know there’s conversation happening. But if you take our bias out of this conversation, there’s only one answer.”
So there you have it. Shams Charania has officially taken over at ESPN, filling some pretty large Woj-shaped shoes—but on a slightly smaller salary. He may not be getting those sweet, sweet seven mils, but he’s still doing better than most of us, and hey, at least he won’t have to explain what a Woj Bomb is anymore. Just imagine the pressure of being the new insider on the block, tasked with making basketball fans forget the man who practically invented NBA leaks. But if anyone can do it, it’s Shams. After all, he’s got the McAfee seal of approval, and in today’s world, that’s worth at least a couple million bucks, right?