Why Did NBA Star Reporter Adrian Wojnarowski Suddenly Retire? His 37-Word Reason Is a Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

Yesterday, one of the biggest names in basketball announced his retirement. But it wasn’t a player, a coach, or even a GM.

It was star ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski, affectionately known as Woj in basketball circles, developed a reputation as the best in the industry. He was especially known for his “Woj bombs,” short posts on social media in which he’d announce breaking NBA news, like when a player got traded or signed with a new team via free agency.

ESPN revealed that Wojnarowski is taking on a new job as general manager of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater.

Which, of course, brings us to the question: Why is Wojnarowski retiring from ESPN and leaving the journalism industry behind?

Woj explained his reason in an announcement on social-media platform X.

“I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”

In two concise sentences — exactly 37 words — Wojnarowski taught a brilliant lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions. It’s something I like to call, the Rule of Recentering.

What is the Rule of Recentering? Why is it important? And how can you use it to make better decisions in your life? Let’s take a closer look at Wojnarowski’s decision and identify the takeaways. (Sign up here for my free email course on emotional intelligence.)

How to find more meaning and fulfillment

To follow the Rule of Recentering simply means to take time to reassess your current and longtime values and goals, and to use those insights to guide your decisions. This exercise allows you to recenter — to make sure your values, goals, and thoughts, along with your actions, are all aligned.

The Rule of Recentering is valuable because what we want out of life changes over time.

For example, consider Wojnarowski’s situation. For years, even casual basketball fans have been amazed at Woj’s ability to almost always get the inside scoop. In his heyday, Woj was often the first to break most big NBA news, and he had a reputation for consistency and reliability.

But over time, a rival emerged: Wojnarowski’s former protégé, Shams Charania. And while Woj still had the reputation as No. 1, Charania was catching up. Fans could be sure it would be one of these two to break any major basketball news — but it was anyone’s guess who would be first.

Of course, there’s no telling if Woj’s rivalry with his former mentee played a major role in his decision to leave journalism behind or not. But what’s clear, at least, according to Woj, is that the industry’s top dog had lost the drive to do all the things required to stay on top, and was ready to change course and do something that brought him more fulfillment. (It’s also worth mentioning that Wojnarowski is a family man.)

So, what can you learn from Wojnarowski’s decision and the Rule of Recentering?

As a business owner, you may face the desire for change. Sure, running the company may have been a blast in the beginning, maybe even for several years. But as you juggle your responsibilities at work and home, along with the pressure of maintaining and even growing the business, you have to ask yourself:

Does your role in the business still align with your current thinking, actions, values, and goals?

As you answer that question, take time to reaffirm — even write down — what’s important to you. Doing so will help bring your thoughts and emotions back to center. It’ll also help you define what success means to you now, so you can take the steps you need to achieve it.

So, hat’s off to Wojnarowski for a great run. And for teaching a major lesson in how to identify when the time has come to move on — and how to end things on your own terms.