Former ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski Revealed in a Sports Illustrated profile that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March, a few months before his grand retirement.
A line from Wojnarowski’s farewell statement in September read: “Time is not an inexhaustible resource.” As he told SI’s Chris Mannix, it was about his cancer diagnosis.
Wojnarowski underwent a medical examination in February and blood tests revealed that his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was elevated. An MRI revealed nothing and a second PSA test remained elevated. A biopsy was ordered, and in March it revealed early-stage cancer.
According to Mannix, Wojnarowski learned the news just before appearing on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”
ESPN then hired Wojnarowski’s former colleague at Yahoo Sports, Shams Charania, as its new NBA insider.
Fortunately, Wojnarowski has a good prognosis and is currently symptom free.
“When you hear canceryou think it goes through your body like Pac-Man,” Woj said. “Prostate cancer usually stays confined to your prostate and usually grows slowly.”
Regular monitoring and quarterly checkups are required for Wojnarowski, who has also been advised by doctors to improve his health by eating better, exercising more and sleeping better.
Although the cancer diagnosis came as a shock, it wasn’t the reason Wojnarowski announced his sudden retirement from his NBA reporting job to become general manager of the St. Bonaventure, where he graduated in 1991. He was tired of waiting for news of an injured player and contacting agents late at night.
When he attended the funeral in May of longtime ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen, Wojnarowski said it made him realize there was more to life than being the go-to source for NBA information.
“It reminded me that work isn’t everything,” Wojnarowski said. “At the end of the day, it’s just going to be about your family and close friends. And it’s also that no one cares. No one remembers (the stories told) in the end. It doesn’t is just steam.”
