Malika Andrews has a secret weapon in her broadcasting career – a special friend whose support has been “always, always there cheering us on.” However, this isn’t a media insider or an NBA superstar. This VIP has had front-row seats to her journey since the very beginning.

That special friend? Her father, Mike Andrews. The ESPN star’s recent Instagram tribute gushed, “I really lucked out in the dad department,” revealing him as both her “adventure buddy” and “the source of my basketball fandom.” That casual term – adventure buddy – perfectly captures their journey from childhood horseback competitions to his living room vigil today. His perfect attendance would make Cal Ripken Jr. blush.

What makes their friendship remarkable is its quiet constancy. While the sports world sees Andrews breaking down games on NBA Today, Mike still sees the determined girl who grew up near Oracle Arena, absorbing Golden State Warriors games during family viewing sessions. His influence ran deeper than fandom – when teenage Malika faced personal struggles, it was her adventure buddy who helped her navigate toward healing.

Their escapades have evolved from horseback trails to playoff scenarios, but as Malika says, he remains “always, always there” – whether she’s interviewing MVPs or facing professional challenges, her original hype man is still courtside (or at least on his couch, remote in hand). That same unwavering support clearly extended to Malika’s sister Kendra Andrews, who followed her into sports media.

So, in the high-stakes world of sports media, Andrews’ tribute spotlights what real support looks like – not measured in clout, but in showing up for “every ride, every game, every broadcast.” As Malika herself put it, she didn’t just gain a father – she “really lucked out.”

More Than an ‘Adventure Buddy’: The Father Who Stood By Malika Through Her Darkest Trails

Malika Andrews may call her father Mike her “adventure buddy” in that Instagram-perfect way, but that casual term hides the real story. This isn’t just some dad who showed up for horseback riding competitions and ESPN broadcasts. The truth? Mike Andrews earned that title by surviving the kind of parenting nightmare that would make most men crumble.

When teenage Malika was “clawing at ways to make sense of my anger” through eating disorders and self-harm, Mike became something far beyond a basketball tutor. He and his wife Caren made the gut-wrenching decision to send their daughter to wilderness therapy—three years that her mother describes as their “familial heart ripped from our body.” Yet through it all, Mike’s quiet strength became Malika’s lifeline, proving “adventure buddy” was code for “the man who walked through hell to get me here.”

Now, when Mike watches his daughter command ESPN’s NBA Today, he’s not just seeing a rising media star. He’s seeing the girl who once didn’t know “how to live in my own skin,” now owning every second of airtime. Their adventures have traded Utah wilderness trails for NBA press trails, but the through line remains: whether analyzing playoff scenarios or battling personal demons, Malika’s had the same hype man in her corner.

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That “Love you, Daddy” caption on her Father’s Day post? In an industry obsessed with metrics, it’s the ultimate advanced stat—proof that the most valuable player in Malika’s life isn’t some NBA superstar, but the man who never stopped believing, even when belief seemed impossible. Call him an adventure buddy if you want, but the truth is simpler: Mike Andrews is the reason “always, always there” isn’t just a sweet phrase.