Former ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski is giving basketball followers the possibility to personal a chunk of historical past by auctioning off his outdated cellphones.
In September, Wojnarowski shocked the basketball world when he announced his retirement from breaking news. As ESPN’s prime information breaker, his updates—coined “Woj Bombs”—incessantly shocked followers with blockbuster strikes seemingly out of nowhere.
Wojnarowski stepped away as a result of intense calls for of being the NBA’s prime insider. He typically went days with out sleep, missed flights whereas ready on scoops and was incessantly distant from his household as a result of job’s rigorous nature.
The longtime sports activities journalism pioneer has since been re-energized by a chance along with his alma mater, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies males’s basketball program. He’s now main this system’s identify, picture and likeness (NIL) efforts, which have quickly gained consideration throughout collegiate sports activities.
As a part of these efforts, Wojnarowski is auctioning off his old iPhones, press credentials, ESPN media badges and even cellphone calls and dinners with the previous reporter.
His accessible telephones embrace an iPhone 11 he used to announce the NBA’s suspension of play as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, an iPhone XR he used to interrupt the information of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teaming up with the Los Angeles Clippers, the iPhone 14 he used to cowl the NBA Draft lottery that landed Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs, and the cellphone he used to cowl his last NBA Draft.
As of Monday night, bids for these telephones vary from $250 to $750.
Different gadgets embrace his 2021 and 2024 NBA Finals press passes. His 2023 NBA Draft credential, from the 12 months Wembanyama was chosen, is already as much as $750.
Followers have every week to bid on these collectibles. Whereas the telephones are probably wiped of any insider contacts, messages or info, the concept that a Spurs fan may personal the cellphone used to announce their franchise-altering draft pick is an amusing one.
By the tip of the public sale, the St. Bonaventure NIL fund is projected to lift near $10,000. That’s a major sum for a number of gadgets that have been probably sitting in Wojnarowski’s junk drawer.
He has been clear in regards to the immense stress of his profession, notably lately. Parting with this stuff from his last seasons probably offers a way of closure—whereas additionally serving to fund his new endeavor.
Wojnarowski revolutionized basketball media. Now, he’s determining the NIL recreation one outdated iPhone at a time.
